Back to Basics
by KiahTrickster
Summary: Set after Fighting for a Second Chance, the portal is gone and the supplies it provided are sorely missed as the colony is forced to fend for itself. As Terra Nova learns more than they bargained for about their home and neighbors, human and dinosaur, people come together learning to survive in this new world. Their community grows and changes, as the Terra Nova dream is forged.
1. Chapter 1

**Back to Basics**

 _Disclaimer: This is written for fun not profit, all characters belong to respective creators and producers._

 **Chapter One**

The sun beat down on her back, sparse scraggly trees offered no shelter from it. Alicia had spent everyday of the last four months under it and her skin was baked into leather, tanned or red from sunburn where her skin wasn't protected and heat rash in the spots her clothes covered. It made her hate the body armour, as did every other soldier with her; something the scientists didn't understand. The thick protective material was brutal in the heat.

The next scientist to request one more week was going to be injured; badly. Her mind was made up, on Friday they returned to the colony; ready or not. The requests for a return trip could and would be filed within hours of their return to the colony; and likely with Malcolm Wallace's full support. But she would see that the Commander made them jump through every hoop imaginable and process what they had before another mission would be approved. And as he was also suffering through this trip her husband had promised another ranked officer could head the mission and it would have a hard time limit.

Alicia wanted little more than to be back in the colony with her husband. The months spent doing day operations on the Sixer border felt like years ago, but at least she had been home every night. Been able to sleep at night, curled against Nathaniel and unconcerned with whether the nightmares would haunt her because he knew and he understood. Sharing a tent with a young recruit she could never really sleep soundly, afraid she would wake the girl if her mind chose to play with her.

More than that she missed waking up with him, laying together to talk, relax or laugh. The mornings when he woke before her, and they started their day in the best way possible. He checked her armour before she left and would strip it off her again at night, hands lingering on the sore spots she never told him about. The man could drive her crazy without meaning to, he was used to giving orders, and fiercely protective as though there were moments he forgot she had served for more than fifteen years.

Four months they had been off colony on operation in the badlands, which was almost half as long as she had been married to him. Nathaniel was as frustrated as she was, when her birthday had passed she wasn't sure who had been more irritated about it. Chatting each time she checked in was a tease that only made her miss him more. For four months he had made sure he was available for each of her check ins, something she knew he had to coordinate carefully no matter what he said.

But given the proximity of the Phoenix camp, one of them had to be out here; and she couldn't claim innocence in the protective of spouse game either. She felt safer having Nathaniel in the colony. So in the badlands Alicia rotated a team of six soldiers through guarding the science team, once it became obvious that there were no remains to be found in the site she developed a theory of her own and left the scientists in capable hands; and saved herself more than one head ache.

No remains in the wreck proved what they had suspected since their discovery six months before, some had survived being thrust into another world. Dragging her recruit with her, Alicia worked methodically away from the site. Pleased that Skye kept pace and kept her mouth shut. What they were doing may have seemed pointless over the last few weeks but it would pay off; she had tracked long enough to know patience was key.

They were more than three clicks from the site, where the badlands gave way into jungle. Human instinct would dictate any survivors headed for cover, out of the burning sun in search of food, water and shelter. They would have headed this way, where trees could be seen from a distance, any other direction would have taken them deeper into the badlands and the unrelenting desert would have wasted no time doing away with them.

Even if years had passed she was betting signs had been left behind, people had a way of doing that; especially people in a panic. The jungle would have grown up, any trail would have been gone days after they moved on but if they had settled for any length of time something would remain. She doubted if they would have tried to hide their presences, likely assuming the same as those of Terra Nova had; that they were alone.

Within an hour they were bushwhacking, the jungle kept the sun off their backs. Alicia scanned the ground, the twisted roots and up the soaring trees. Scientists had their eyes on the historic event, Alicia was more interested in hat had happened after. In where those people had gone.

She literally tripped over her first clue. Her world pitched and she jerked, trying to free her foot from a vine. The overgrown vine remained wrapped around her ankle and pulled free of the weathered wood it had been tangled around as Alicia landed on her front. The wood was a roughly hewn cross, old and weathered.

"Ma'am?" Skye looked between her and the marker she had uncovered.

"I'm fine, found what we were looking for." By being a clumsy idiot, shaking her head Alicia slid the combat knife from the sheath at her side and began to cut the vine away.

Skye took only a moment before helping her clear the area. There were years' worth of growth in the clearing but slowly they uncovered a row of eight crosses. Now they knew why no bodies had been found, comrades had carried their dead away and laid them to rest in dignity. And only eight meant most had survived for a time, long enough to get here and create this memorial.

Survived long enough to bury their dead, to do it right. She would see that no one disturbed it. No science was that important and while she knew some would argue the final decision would be made by a man who had buried to many people he cared for. One who knew what she did, knew what it was to do everything in her power to bring her comrade home, even when he was beyond help; it was a right all humans should have. The scientist who pushed would see what war did to a person, and the proof that it was veterans that founded Terra Nova. Veterans who had buried many.

Alicia had dug graves, hastily in battle fields to see that scavengers or enemies did not harm the bodies of fallen soldiers when retreat was not possible. The wave of sickness she felt in putting a human in the ground and marking the coordinates on a map so someday they could be brought home. She wondered what these people had felt when they laboured to give their dead a resting place. With little hope of ever taking them home, or ever seeing their own home again.

Being thrust from a tossing ocean on a ship under attack into a desert, and a world entirely new. Confusion she thought and fear would probably have been the forefront of many minds. She had felt both those emotions, knowing and making the choice to step through the portal into this world. But there had also been excitement and awe as she took in the new world around her eight years ago; somehow she didn't think the first emotion would have been shared with the people who had been here.

Yet quickly this world had become home, it was likely the same for them. Learning to survive in this world and come to love it; to thrive in it. Had they? Had they carved out a home in some corner of this world and learned to survive? Somewhere far from the colony, or in the last eight years they would not have lived believing that the military team had been first. Many questions raced through her mind and Alicia knew it would take every skill they had to find the answers. But should they?

Her thoughts went no further as the ground began to shake. A deafening rumble began, growing louder every second. She wasted no time grabbing Skye by the scruff and tossing her against the base of a huge tree; using her own body to shelter the girl. The ground beneath them trembled violently and the rumble became a roar she recognized moments before the sonic wave raced over her back and winds whip in funnels hurling debris around. She stayed still a good thirty seconds after every thing passed.

"It would be too much to hope that landed in the middle of the Phoenix camp." She muttered as she climbed to her feet.

"Did it cause an earthquake?" Skye's voice shook slightly, the girl was a little more cautious getting up.

"No, just a meteor; impact shook things up. The earth's growing pains are a couple million years out. We will both be long gone, but we will see our share of meteors; and apparently EMPs." She sighed, fiddling with her com; the thing was dead.

"How far could it have traveled?" Skye was starting to sound nervous. Alicia slid the old glock from her ankle holster and tucked it into her waist band.

"Far enough, we need to move." Alicia knew the girl was hoping it hadn't reached the colony, but the last had, and it had hit them hard. It was time to get themselves home; one way or another.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The meteor hit just after noon and within the hour Terra Nova was once again thrown into the dark ages. Nathaniel Taylor had a great many concerns for the colony, they had injuries and doctors trying to work without proper equipment, soldiers patrolling with primitive weapons and no perimeter to keep wildlife away. But none of those things topped his list.

That spot belonged to his wife, she was in the badlands with a group of scientists driving her mad and a small military team; as well as a recruit just starting to shed the green. The meteor had landed in the badlands and he had no way to know if she was safe or not. No way to get her help either, her transports would be as dead as those in the colony, coms and weapons down. He was thankful she had taken her old glock, and a rifle passed down from her grandfather as those would be operational. But it was little comfort and hour by hour worry ate at him; making focus difficult.

Alicia had been off colony for months, her birthday had passed and so had their six month anniversary; something he knew he was supposed to fuss over. Nathaniel had spoken to her daily, but right now that only made him miss her more; that thin connection cut. No matter how many times he eyed his com, the device wasn't going to beep with an incoming call; it had been dead nearly twenty four hours.

He had dispatched evening patrols and checked the infirmary on autopilot; dreading he end of the day. The second night without power, going home only got harder. Out of excuses Nathaniel opened the door to the unit he shared with his wife and her pet; he was not alarmed by the green eyes glowing in the darkness. Boxer, the more feminine of the names chosen by Zoe Shannon, stared at him from her perch on the couch. If dinosaur eyes could convey disappointment the little maiasour did.

Nathaniel knew the little creature found him a pale second to his wife who fused over it and stroked the thing like a cat; it sort of looked like a cat. Not six months old the scientists predicted it would grow yet, to be the size of a large dog. Nathaniel stopped to scratch its chin, in the dim light he could see that Boxer had yet again dragged Alicia's pillow from the bed to her spot on the couch; he was competing with a dinosaur for something that had long since lost his wife's scent. But was something they both associated with her.

"I miss her too." Nathaniel slid the object from under the creature's chin; reclaiming for the night. He would never admit talking to the thing but he had never felt quite so lonely; except when he believed her dead. And Boxer couldn't tell anyone. "If I let you out you would steal that pillow and take off on me."

He dumped some leaves in the maiasour's bowl and headed for bed. He knew he wouldn't sleep well but he had to try, he had no way to know when they could leave for the badlands. He intended to go the moment they colony was secure and the transports had power; yet that would be days away.

Sleep evaded him, he spent the night wondering where she was, if she was pressing through the night to get back, or holed up somewhere safe waiting for light. Boxer climbed up on the bed beside him, nuzzling close to the coveted pillow. Nathaniel didn't fight the creature tonight.

Dawn brought a sharp knock on his door. Jim Shannon was on his step looking grim. His heart clenched, motioning the man in as he fastened one of Alicia's antique weapons on his hip. He did not enjoy using her precious store of ammunition, or the weapons she valued.

"Sixers are at the gate." Shannon reported quickly.

"What do they want?" So far there had been no problems with the Sixers but trust was not established; Nathaniel was wary.

"To speak to you." Shannon sighed, the man looked as tired as Nathaniel felt.

As he held the door Boxer darted around his legs. He growled at the critter but it tore off without looking back; damn brat. It wouldn't get under the fence, he would catch it later; probably at the Shannons with its brother.

Striding to the fence he ordered the gate raised. As the logs lifted, clanking together he saw a blur of movement. Boxer darted under the gate and out of the colony. His gut clenched, he actually wanted to chase her, and he was not comfortable with loosing his wife's pet. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Reilly give chase, which eased the knot a little, he needed to focus on the matter at hand.

A crew of Sixers took the rising barrier as an invitation. Mira led her pack and as they fanned out he saw two carried a stretcher. The Sixer leader did not waste words. "We need medical care."

"I see that." And he could see through her thin mask of control; the woman was afraid.

"Will you barter for it?" Mira's jaw set and he knew what it cost her to admit she could not provide for her people; it had cost her something to come here. Just as he knew it would have cost him were roles reversed; and the history between them.

He waited a beat, scanning the reactions of the colonists gathered. The colony had its own problems and while the Sixers had a harder way of life and he felt for them his came first. There was concern, curiosity and interest mixed among the faces; Nathaniel nodded. "Take him back to the infirmary."

And now he stepped close to Mira. "Is he the only one?"

"No, but the only one to hold on, it hasn't spread; they were working and all the men out returned like this. Our remedies haven't worked." The woman's eyes followed her man, her responsibility.

"Dr Shannon will do what she can for him." It was a reassurance he hadn't intended to offer.

Mira nodded, eyes scanned to colonists just as he had. "Meteoric ore for payment."

Nathaniel agreed, the chest of it set between them would be good for the colony. And as they had a great many repairs to do the ore would be used quickly. He was not naïve to the work the Sixers had put in to mine it from the quarry by hand.

Once the Sixers disappeared he left the gate to find the doctor; time to learn if they had seen this before. The infirmary was at capacity since the sonic wave but most injuries left were minor; more serious already treated and stabilized. It was the challenges of using ancient medical techniques that slowed it, but they had to be thankful they had a skilled doctor who knew them and had a mind for this; their previous physician had not had such skill.

Without bio beds Dr Shannon had given the entire crew a crash course in in historic medical techniques. He had dug out Alicia's old field kit for some equipment. A few tools had been added to the mix, Boylan was repairing chips by hand to conserve the blanks they had in storage. It was time consuming, even with the assistance of Josh Shannon.

The injured Sixer had one of the only operational bio beds, a hologram encircled his body. Elisabeth Shannon was studying it intently. She glanced back at him and narrowed her eyes. "Don't ask for answers I don't have. Not even sure what I am looking at yet."

"Know anything?" He tried hopefully.

"There is a toxin in his blood, the chemical breakdown of a venom but I have never seen it before and it has been metabolized into base compounds. Even with every piece of equipment operational I would be hard pressed to trace it. Too much time has passed." Elisabeth Shannon looked tired but the fire in her eyes was reassuring, the doctor was sharp; she missed very little.

The screen switched to a page of scientific terms and names; they were gibberish to him. "Is he contagious?"

"No, at this time I do not think so but we will take all precautions until we know for sure. The bed is set on containment, as long as we glove up the projection will shield us; we just have to hope there isn't another sonic wave. We need the bed live."

And that was the best news he had, he left the clinic with that. He had no way of knowing when Mira would be back for an update on her man and no simple way of getting her one. Nathaniel would not expend colony resources to get her one when his wife and Terra Nova citizens were unaccounted for. He returned to the Command Center to review the reconstruction plan, looking for a time and date when he could leave for the badlands.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you tmtcltb for your reviews, I am glad you are enjoying the story._

 _C_ hapter Three

The hours after the meteor struck had been a blur, three of the four transports they had were fried. One, a large cargo rhino Alicia had stowed deep in a cave system, in case they were raided by the Phoenix, had survived and never had she been more thankful.

Yet they had run into trouble before they were loaded up; Phoenix soldiers were circling. For a time they would be able to out run them, but in the jungle speed would not be their friend. And in the jungle they had the Phoenix on their tail by the second night; circling on a pair of motorcycles. Given that they were riding double and triple she figured they only had the two; probably stored the same way she had stored the rhino.

Between tracking their tail and listening to the scientists complain about being crammed in like sardines she had to make a choice. She didn't bother pointing out that the other option was walking home as it was an option she was considering. When their route brought them to a trail cut for outpost nine Alicia calculated their lead and ordered a stop; gathering her soldiers.

"Drive straight to the colony, you should be able to make it within twenty four hours." As she spoke she assembled the antique rifle her grandfather had carried during the water wars. Well maintained and fully operational it was a weapon that had seen a lot of combat; one she knew well. "Tell the Commander we had a tail, keep everyone within the fence and the gate down. We don't give them hostages."

"Ma'am what about you?"

"I've a score to settle and they won't take me." At least not alive she thought darkly. "Don't worry about me."

None looked happy but they knew better than to argue. Alicia watched them leave with her jaw clenched to hide her emotions. She missed Nathaniel and was fully aware the pressure he would be under. Her absence when that transport arrived would be hard. The fact she was likely going to be two days getting back hurt like a knife. She wanted nothing more than to curl up with him; reassure herself that the man wanted her in his arms; as his wife.

To focus on the task at hand she had to shut it down, sliding silently away as the transport rumbled on. Invisible in the jungle she climbed a tall tree and made herself comfortable, stretched out on a strong branch. It didn't take long to hear the whine of the motorcycles and soon she had the enemy in her scope; two bikes and six soldiers. She would do away with some before they even got off the bikes.

Alicia tensed as the bikes came into range. It was time, they paused to study the tracks where the transport had stopped and she took two out clean; the other scattered like rats. With a snarl she slide down the tree, getting cornered was not an option; nor was letting them escape. And they wouldn't be eager to give up their transports, so they would hide and she would dig them out. This was not new and they were not going around her, she would not bring an enemy to the gates of their home.

…

He sighed as Reilly apologized for not being able to catch Boxer, he was not looking forward to explaining that to Alicia. It was one of the smallest problems he had, yet it bothered him even as he told the soldier not to worry about it.

With everything happening in the colony one little acrotholus had to fall low on the list. However it was his wife's pet and with that piece of her gone too he felt her absence in everything. They shared a home but also the job, so many responsibilities within the colony where he could not escape missing her; or distract himself with anything. He didn't want to stare at her empty desk in the command center but he had to work. And he couldn't stop remembering how many months it had taken for her to be comfortable in here again. Feeling like a small child he wanted his wife back; and he wanted her now.

It would be at least another day before they could prepare for the badlands and another after that to get under way. And he had no way to know where she was or if she was dealing with the Phoenix.

In Terra Nova the military and the people had shifted. People looked out for each other, valued their friends and neighbors; cherished their families. It was a place for real living, values from a forgotten times forged anew. He valued it as his second chance, the second chance at life and with a woman he should never have had the chance to love. That shifted things with him.

Alicia knew how to survive, and how to fight. She was strong and capable and fierce. While he knew all of that he couldn't put it away. Alicia 'Wash' Taylor was his wife, his world. She had stood by him on the worst days of his life and pulled through the most dangerous beside him.

Shifting he couldn't be still, couldn't play the waiting game; the security team were going to be as happy as he was when she got back. Stepping out onto the balcony he called the unit due for physical training today and gave orders for foot patrols; two clicks from the gate. To their credit none let their lack of excitement show.

Nathaniel left them to gear up and went do another round of the work being done. In the past few days he had spent more time in Boylan's bar than he had since it was opened. The man gave him a dirty look as he leaned on the counter. "Got nothing better to do than hover Commander?"

"I need those chips Boylan, we need the infirmary in shape before I can leave for the badlands." He growled back, the man settled back in his seat, Josh Shannon did the opposite; huddling closer to the magnifying glass he used to work on his own chip.

"Commander we all want your wife back, she is so much more fun to deal with; easier on the eyes too. However, this can't go any faster and since you don't want to punch out new chips you will have to cope. Can I get you a drink?"

"I don't want a drink, and you know damn well why we are doing it this way; we've had two EMPs in less than a year. Want to tell me what we'll do if we run out of chips before we set up a way to manufacture them?"

"People will just have to learn to do without for a time." And Boylan, who he knew was fully capable of producing chips for his own use would flaunt that and make a killing on it if allowed. Nathaniel knew the bartender was skilled enough and crafty enough to find ways to keep his taps flowing even if the rest of the colony was doing without.

"That time may be coming sooner than we think." He muttered, turning to Josh Shannon. "How many chips have been repaired?"

"Um, three bio beds, some sort of machine they needed for synthesizing medications, two refrigeration units. And we have another medical one and a sonic cannon in progress now. Transports are next on the list." At least someone could give him a straight, if nervous answer.

"Good." He knew it was painstaking work, repairing them by hand; it took time. He understood that; but time was valuable.

Before he further irritated the bar tender and scared the kid he left the bar and rounded to the science division. Already frustrated he didn't think going a few rounds with Malcolm Wallace could ruin his mood. And the man needed to figure out a new way to shield them so that they weren't continually scrambling when an EMP struck.

Wallace was up for the game, and left Nathaniel shaking his head. The colony was without power, families were eating diner by chemical lighting, and their only heat source was open flames. Reilly had worked out a way to rig the solar panels to the water tanks and the old school design meant the colony did have warm water for showers. But little else, and their priority was not, and his would never be, the scores of lab equipment that Malcolm Wallace could not do without. Somehow he found medical equipment, weapons, perimeter mines and transportation more important. A small petty part of him wanted to add colonist comforts to that list; and after all that they would deal with the gizmos in Malcolm's lab.

Returning to the Command Center he leaned on the rail, watching the movement of the guards on the tower, restless without their usual gear. The flashes of movement of the team running perimeter patrols. It reassured him that they were doing everything they could. Movement farther out caught his attention, raising a scope he focused on it; a transport. One of theirs.

His heart climbed into his throat, one of four they had sent out and at that distance it would be at the gates in little more than an hour. Turning to the guard stationed on the stairs he gave an order. "O'Brian, report to the gate. We've got an inbound from the east."

He sent the young soldier running. He wanted it to be their team; his wife. But he only saw one transport and that could mean trouble. A little over an hour later the team from the badlands piled out of the transport; one person notably missing. His gut was clenched as the doors slammed and people returned to their families.

Reynolds stopped in front of him. "Sir, we were ordered to return to the colony."

The young man looked terrified and while he stood straight Nathaniel thought it would take little more than a nudge to topple him over. "Understood, why?"

"We had Phoenix soldiers on our tail. Wash remained to give us cover. Commander it was an order, she shouldn't be more than a day behind." Nathaniel ground his teeth and dismissed the man to the Shannon girl nearly bouncing a few feet away.

It still threw him hearing her called Wash but when she shared both rank and name with him it had become confusing for soldiers trying to report one's orders to the other. So her nick name stuck and since he had used it for years and liked it; most of the time. But he used it less and less, preferring her first.

An operational transport might change how they handled this. Nathaniel was tired of waiting, and if Alicia was a day away he would hope she was sticking to the trails; perhaps they could head out to find her. However if she was cutting cross country to the colony they had no hope.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

It took entirely too long to track and dispatch the remaining Phoenix, but it did earn her the use of one of their motorcycles. She chose the one with the most power left. Not enough to get her home, but it got her a whole lot closer.

Exhaustion was setting in when the bike died, she had drained the power cells but would have a couple more hours to hike home. With night settling around her Alicia kept her weapon in hand and kept moving; she was too close to home to wait another night.

She hoped that predators were scenting the blood spilled in the clearing she had left; she was not in the mood to fight against something looking for dinner. This area wasn't usually predator territory, she'd taught survival out here a few times; but creatures migrated. Darkness fell and her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the moon filtering through the canopy.

Alicia came to the trail head and glared at the rutted road that would lead around to the main gate. It wound around the colony, opened out to the gate and the guard stations where she would be given entrance to the colony, her home; and her husband. It would take several hours to walk it. Or she could cut through the jungle to the fence; it meant sneaking into the colony. But she wanted to be home.

With that thought she cut off the path and turned towards the colony. It wasn't an easy trip but an hour later she could see the dim glow of chemical lighting; she figured it was about two in the morning. A grin broke on her face as she eyed the high fence of the colony. In a matter of moments she would be in her home, in a real bed; beside her husband. A man who loved her and understood her and would hold her; her heart beat a little faster.

Dropping to her knees Alicia shoved her rifle under the lowest rail before squeezing her body under as well. When no soldiers appeared from night watch she frowned and looked towards the towers; the search beams and heat sensors must still be down. Not that it was any excuse but she headed towards the unit she shared with Nathaniel; that could be sorted out in the morning.

It was early and the streets were empty, she pressed her palm to the security plate but when no light flashed she realized it was dead. Taking out her knife she carefully jimmied the lock, the door swung open and she checked that she hadn't damaged the locks. Satisfied she stepped into her home, about to close the door when a noise made her shift. She turned and glanced down to see a little dinosaur racing towards her.

With a smile Alicia leaned down and scooped up her pet; Boxer must have taken off on Nathaniel. She carried her inside and the little creature squeaked in happiness. Alicia felt the same, even in the darkness everything looked the same as when she left; familiar and safe.

…

He couldn't say what woke him, not that he had been sleeping all that well. The smallest of sounds caught his attention, with a groan Nathaniel rolled to the edge of the bed and reached for his knife on instinct. Moving quietly towards the kitchen he was almost wondering if he had been hearing things; until he heard a distinctive squeal.

Nathaniel shook his head, Alicia's pet must be at the door; little thing decided to come home. Boxer was probably hungry. He started into the kitchen and froze, a figure stood in the entry way; just as still as he was. Heart in his throat he reached over and lifted the cover on the chemical lamp.

His wife stood in the entry way, the little dinosaur in her arms; nuzzling her cheek in effort to regain Alicia's attention. She was a sight, he scrubbed a hand over his face; he wasn't dreaming. Rifle hanging off her shoulder, body armor bloody and damaged, her skin darkened with what he hoped was sweat and dirt dried to her; but the sun had also gotten in it's punch.

It seemed she was taking stock of him as well, granted he had much more on display as he only wore soft sleep pants. He watched her set Boxer on the floor, taking it as an invitation he drew closer to her. Ignoring the critter attempting to climb her leg and back to its perch. Something flickered in her eyes and he followed her gaze to the combat knife still in his hand; Nathaniel tossed it on the counter.

He reached for her as Alicia leaned in, she settled against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Hers slid around him and tightened like a vice. They both fought emotion. Nathaniel didn't know how they stood wound together.

After a time she shifted and their eyes met; she smiled. "Hi."

"You're home." He whispered, nuzzling her cheek and stealing a kiss.

"Chew out the night watch out tomorrow. I want to sleep. With you." Alicia grinned, pressed against him; he had missed her so much.

"Does food factor in?" His arms around her he could feel that her armor was loose and he knew she had been working under pressure for months; he wanted to feed her. Nearly as much as he wanted to hold her.

"I'm starved, and filthy." The soft tone, the way she stayed pressed against him; she didn't want to let go any more than he did.

"Shower, food in bed then sleep. I will hold you all night." There was a sandwich he had brought home but not eaten in the ice box and thanks to Reilly's skills he could offer her a warm shower.

Alicia nodded as he began to open her body armor and strip away her weapons. She wasn't idle, and by the time they reached the shower both stepped in. Nathaniel pulled her under the water and began to wash her carefully; thoroughly. Looking for any injuries she hadn't mentioned.

He found scrapes and bruises all over her, insect bites she had scratched into welts but nothing serious. What bothered him most was how much weight she had lost. And how tense she was, though she relaxed under his hands. Her entire body relaxed, tension in her muscles easing and her head tipping to her chest, leaning into his shoulder. She shut off the water and stepped out; he was struck again by how beautiful she was. And that she was looking at him with that same desire; his wife was home.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

He washed her, fed her and crawled into bed beside her. Alicia fell asleep on his chest, the first sound sleep either had in weeks. Nathaniel woke to sunlight streaming into the room, he had slept flat on his back; pinned by anther form. He was confused for a moment until he remembered the images of his wife in heavy gear looking rough from a jungle trek standing in the shadows, and warm, wet from the shower welcoming him into her arms. As he looked at her sleeping form he smiled while a pleasant dream it was a reality he had needed. The strong powerful, soldier who stood beside him at the head of this colony was currently soft and warm and very much his wife.

He shifted so she lay fully on his chest, the thin sheet tangled about them and her weight a comfort. When she didn't wake he smiled, it spoke to her trust of him; proved that she felt safe. Nuzzling her hair he closed his eyes and prepared to settle again. If ever a man was allowed a day to be lazy this was it.

Not a moment later someone began pounding n the front door and he was snarling as he tried to get out of the bed without waking Alicia. He yanked on a pair of cargos and pulled a shirt over his head as he moved into the entryway. Jerking the door open to snarl at whatever fool had the misfortune of bothering him.

Jim Shannon stood, arm still raised; frowning at him. "Late morning sir? It is oh eight hundred."

"I am aware of the time Shannon. It is Saturday." He growled, running through his orders from the night before; he had no obligations this morning. He had assigned a soldier to hand out rotation orders this morning, intending to do a walk through; but he hadn't shared that. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Elisabeth had some questions for you; it is about Wash." He worked to school his expression, currently he had no concerns about his wife; none whatsoever as she was still curled safely in their bed. But Shannon didn't know that.

"Will it keep until noon?" He would do the doc one better, Alicia should probably visit her friend anyways.

"Why do you always have to be up at the crack of dawn? There are other things a bed is good for." They both froze with the voice from in the house; Boxer's head came up as the little dinosaur scented the air. Alicia wore only a tank top and girl jockeys, he nearly growled, her hair was still loose and wavy as she rubbed sleep from her eyes.

Shannon coughed shifting on the balls of his feet; Nathaniel grinned at his wife who only squared her shoulders. This was their house, she could do what ever she wanted and dress the same as far as he cared; he could care less if it made Shannon uncomfortable.

"I will meet the doctor at noon; this does not need to spread." He glared at the man until he nodded; with that he shut the door. He heard Shannon say something on the other side but he wasn't concerned, everything was squared with the colony for a few hours.

"Whoops." Alicia smirked, tugging the hem of her tank to her waist, covering the sliver of skin she had been showing.

Nathaniel slid an arm around her waist, running his other hand over her shoulder. "You know that news will not keep long."

"What does Elisabeth need with you?" She murmured as they settled on the couch, depositing Boxer on the floor much to the critter's displeasure.

"Questions about you, figure they won't matter so much now." Alicia's health had been a great concern for through the past six months. She had been gone just over half the time they had been married and her voice over the radio was a poor second for having her here. Being able to feel and hold her.

He had needed last night, and needed this now. Both had known the military and what it could do to a relationship. His first marriage had struggled through dangerous deployments and months apart, but he hadn't had to worry about the battlefield she stood on. With Alicia he had a match who understood him, and who would match him stride for stride and blow for blow.

Yet for years he had served beside her and counted on her, now he came home to her; waited home for her he knew it changed things. Their relationship was different, and somehow in it he felt at home, it may have been new but it felt comfortable as a relationship they had for years shifted into what it should have been long ago.

The morning passed to quickly and a part of him was sad to share her with the colony again so soon. Instead he had to settle for being the one she trusted to fiddle with the strap on the weapon strapped to her hip; one arm slid around her. They walked through the colony, ignoring the whispers and looks that followed them; everyone aware that last night he had eagerly been awaiting the moment he could send a team to search for his wife.

Now they walked side by side to the infirmary, he couldn't deny a feeling of satisfaction. Without power the colony hummed with activity, technology down people had little to do within their homes and as it was Saturday most of the work crews had the day off. Those who wanted a hot meal or groceries were in the market, many others sat around the square visiting or watching children play.

Most of the repaired circuits had been going to the infirmary and so stepping into the cool building was satisfying. Things might be tight but they could still care for their colony. Not all the bio beds were working but he saw many tools Alicia had once packed around for front line medicine out and in use; clearly Elisabeth Shannon knew how to use them as well. And was supplementing technology with less vulnerable tools.

…..

Nathaniel seemed reluctant to let her go as they walked through the colony. But when they stepped into the infirmary he seemed to ease closer. Alicia gave him a slow smile, looking around for Elisabeth, clearly her friend had been adapting a few things. She watched the woman trying to use a blood pressure cuff, and by the looks of it an artifact of one; clearly fighting frustration.

Not much different than the ones they used to ship over to her and the other medics working in the war zones; cheap gear that was expected to be destroyed and replaced several times a deployment. Silently she moved to the bed and unwrapped the cuff, turning it so the tubes were properly positioned and laid her hand over the doctor's to adjust the stethoscope.

Elisabeth's eyes searched hers a moment; surprise clear. She stepped back and waited for her to make the notations on the chart. Finished with her patient the doctor placed the tools on a cart and moved back to where she stood near Nathaniel. "You have used those before?"

"Too many times. In the war zones field medics didn't get tech they could ruin; it cost too much." She explained, all too aware that the doctor was scanning her for injuries; her husband had already done a careful examination of his own.

"When did you get home?" The woman asked, reaching out to trace a cut across her bicep; it had scabbed over but was framed by a nasty bruise.

"Late last night; I didn't come by the gate so word hasn't spread yet." Elisabeth gestured that they should walk with her, and they followed her back to a private room.

"So perhaps Nathaniel has another duty to see to?"

"Trying to get rid of me doc?" Her husband had stayed close and had put a possessive hand back on her hip. "Thought it was me you wanted to talk to."

"Our server with patient records, military medical records is low on the priority list. I had hoped you might remember an incident about four years ago, but having lived through it Alicia may have a clearer recollection." Clearly serious about this Elisabeth had taken out a pad and paper.

"You'll have to be more specific, there have been a lot of incidents over the years." She murmured, but she had good idea what it might be.

"A scouting trip I believe you were out with one other soldier; one of the nurses remembered the situation. My predecessor would have rendered treatment. You both returned with similar symptoms, out three or four days. Both of you had transient paresthesia, numbness and chills which for the other patient it progressed to paralysis and organ damage. I believe he died of an unrelated medical issue." The doctor gave brief details.

"Yeah, Mhendan, Kade was his first name I think." She glanced at Nathaniel to confirm, she had taken the kid on that mission because they had been trying to make a decision about court marshalling him.

Weapons had gone missing on his shift, later they had learned it had been the Sixers and he had been involved but not as much as they had initially thought. She had taken him out to sweat him a bit, it had been a hard trip and she hadn't let anything slide. Scouting the location of the third outpost. They had never learned what they had encountered, her suspicion had been some sort of insect.

"She was the one who drove back, couldn't even uncurl her hands from around the wheel; needed help out of the rover. One moment her legs wouldn't hold her the next she'd be able to walk but was shaking with cold. Mhendan was worse, the doctor at the time treated him with aggressive isobiotics and managed his pain; he overdosed on his pain meds about a year after. Never really recovered." Nathaniel explained.

She knew he would remember it clearly, he knew every soldier who served on security; remembered the ones who went wrong. Usually found some way to blame himself for the damage they did, she smiled sadly; he had pushed the doctor so hard to help that young man and had watched him waste away. She remembered it too but for a different reason; she had wanted to help but in so many ways the Army doctor who had first headed the infirmary was different than Elisabeth Shannon. She had considered him a hack and treated herself every time rather than letting him lay a hand on her; had offered to help Mhendan.

"Clearly you recovered, but never came to the infirmary for treatment. How?" Elisabeth asked, looking between them with other questions she didn't dare to voice.

Alicia understood, the woman would have heard plenty of stories about the man who first had her job; he had been another who went bad. But even the Sixers knew better than to trust a traitor, he had betrayed Terra Nova to them and when things got tough had died trying to betray the Sixers the colony he had left. Some people were only out for themselves and what ever would make their own lives easier; in her mind the easier way never paid off.

"My record of injuries will be far more detailed than my treatment records ever since I came to Terra Nova; before that it will be better. I didn't like the man who used to run the clinic and I certainly didn't trust him enough to touch me. If I was conscious I treated myself or instructed someone else on how to treat me." At that point she had moved out of barracks, and there had been anther soldier she had been close to and often turned to for help.

They had both been medics and had served different unit in Somalia but paths crossed. Eventually ended up in Terra Nova together, there had been no hard feelings about the difference in rank as it was her first CO in command. They had bunked together in barracks and often joked together after. Lara Consta had been one of few people she thought of as a friend, but had worked in the infirmary and treated many with syncillic fever before passing herself. The history of Terra Nova already had many good people who had given their lives to make this place happen, Alicia knew they would never be forgotten.

"That time I treated myself with poultices, they didn't cut the pain but drew out the toxins. To my way of thinking the isobiotics and pain medications only sped up the process. He was comfortable long before I was but he never walked again. I had radiating pain for weeks but the paresthesia and numbness stopped after about four days; I never let it get deep into my system." Alicia had applied the poultice her grandmother had taught her to make to every bite, scratch and scrape she could find on her body and kept doing it until it started to work.

"You let your body fight it off." The doctor commented, writing furiously on her pad.

"The area they were surveying wouldn't have been far from where they Sixers built their new camp. You figure it is the same thing that he's got now?" Nathaniel asked, she could see his jaw was set and she wondered what he was thinking.

"Actually I was able to match his blood work to a sample filed on Mhendan, more advanced with a higher concentration of the venom by-products in his blood but the same strain. Same symptoms too and I have used a similar method of treatment but I have not administered isobiotics. I believe Alicia may be right I noticed a particular marker which is common in insect venoms and many contact irritants from plants that would antagonize the isobiotics; it would make them essentially useless." Elisabeth took a breath as if to explain further but Nathaniel held up a hand.

"She may get half of what you are saying but I don't and I'd really like to know what you want with my wife. I'm rather attached." Alicia smirked, his possessiveness should bother her but today it was reassuring, he had missed her as much as she missed him.

"A blood transfusion, Alicia has fought this before, her body will have antibodies that will allow me to synthesize a vaccine; if we were running as normal. We are not so giving the man a transfusion of Alicia's blood will have a similar affect. Before that I will obviously need to examine her and if it would put her health at risk we will not do it. I am also going to ask that she teaches me how to make the poultices." The doctor explained quickly, eyes searching them both; she nodded in reassurance but waited for Nathaniel's opinion.

"And if she hadn't walked in with me today?" He asked, jaw still set in a hard line; she could tell he didn't like the idea.

"I wanted to ask if you knew how she had been treated; I got one better. You know I would do nothing to jeopardize her health Commander." Elisabeth clearly sensed that he was not sure as well.

Finally he looked to her, blue eyes clear and calm, Alicia smiled slightly; they didn't need to speak the words. He wasn't going to stand in the way of her choice; but she knew he wasn't happy about it. She was secretly pleased that he knew her well enough to know her choice and know it could be a fierce fight between them. "You have a watch rotation to dress down Sir."

"Cheeky." He growled, she rarely called him sir anymore, the title did not work when they were married; but every now and then she worked it in; same as he worked in the opportunities to use the rank he had given her. "Wait for me here when you are done."

She nodded and watched him go, relationships were never easy; relationships with two veteran soldiers were twice as hard. When things were good it only took calling up old memories to bring about a gut check; they had both had too many close calls. In the past few years she'd had more, but she could remember more than one time when she wondered if he was going to bleed out under her hands; letting those memories out of check could fall them.

Nathaniel left, presumably to round up those who had been on night watch and Alicia was still while Elisabeth poked and prodded. Without a bio bed there was even more of it than usual, conversation between them was fairly easy, she had been gone and there was plenty of news to catch up on. Rumors that the colony was going to stay partially in the dark were circulating and causing mixed reactions. Some expected it without the ties to the future and the supply line to keep things coming, others felt it was natural as they were starting over they should find or develop the most ecofriendly technology possible or learn to do with out. And a few were of course upset that things were not as convenient, given she had been home less than twelve hours she had yet to discuss much colony business with Nathaniel.

"There is one other thing." When the physical was over Alicia sat up, her friend scribbled quickly on the note pad; but paused to look at her. "Now that you are home it may be a minor concern, you were due for your birth control injection on your birthday."

"I don't need it." Alicia could not deny that flare of satisfaction she felt in saying that. "It might be too late anyways."

"Mhm, maybe. If that is the route you two are going then be aware you started that regiment before you were twenty, you have been on it consistently for over fifteen years it may take some time after you are off it for you to be able to conceive. " Her friend had shifted entirely to work mode and Alicia schooled her expression.

She was not exactly young to be thinking about her first child and neither was Nathaniel; they had given it some thought. And time wasn't something they were opposed to, trying wasn't any hardship, she wondered if there had been some discussions with Maddie recently. It felt like Elisabeth had been geared up for a different discussion.

…..

Nathaniel would deny up and down that he enjoyed informing the night watch that they had been infiltrated, but he had trained Alicia and took some credit for her skills. And it was his wife, she was not a threat to anyone in the colony; she had simply been coming home. It did not excuse the fact that they were completely unaware of her presence, dawn patrol had missed the signs that she had snuck under the fence as well and so there was more than one lesson to be had.

He left them with extra sessions of physical training and the instruction to review the watch manual. Returning to the infirmary he found his wife sitting beside a bed, arm resting on a pillow; a line still attached. The sight of a bag nearly filled with blood made him clench his jaw again; he would make sure she ate a good meal tonight. She had eaten well this morning too but he figured she was half starved having been on the move for several days with no provisions; this was the last thing she needed to be doing.

Yet she had no serious injuries, she was on her feet and he knew if he told her not to it would only be a fight; that was the last thing he wanted right now. She glanced up to see him hovering. "I am going to be a little while yet."

He nodded, he could wait but he had a feeling he would only be in the way. "I'll go to the market and come back."

The time allowed him to school his feelings, she had been back only a short time and he had spent enough of it away from her already. He stocked some food that would last a little while without refrigeration, and stopped Reynolds; making arrangements to have tomorrow free. For one day he was going to stay at home with her, talk, listen and hold her.

When he returned to the infirmary Alicia was sitting on a bench outside and stood as he approached. He slid an arm around her and turned for home. She smiled, showing him her arm and that there was no damage done; leaning into him.

"Take me home Commander, clue me in; I've missed a lot the past few months." She was teasing him, and that was reassuring.

"Not till Monday. Tomorrow we don't leave the house. We have a lot to catch up on." He murmured, thankful she was not a woman who needed romance and sweet words; he didn't have very much of either.

"What if I want to work out?" She grinned as they opened the door, not bothering with the locks, with the power down no one was.

"I'll give you one." Little minx was baiting him and that was a lesson he was happy to give her; he had a feeling she was looking for it. "How bout now?"

Arms around her he didn't give Alicia a chance to duck him, walking her though to the bedroom and shutting a disgruntled dinosaur out. He didn't care if the thing missed her, he had missed her more. And it would probably get to spend all evening on her lap.

There were perks to being married, even after time apart he knew her; he knew what she needed. There was a satisfaction and a familiarity in knowing her body, knowing where to touch her and how to hold her. The way she reached for him and curled around him was something special; they needed each other.

Laying with her on his chest, still wound together and warm was never going to get old. He had slipped the hair tie she had been wearing and long inky strands splayed across her back and over his shoulder as she nuzzled the base of his throat; he slid his hand through to enjoy how soft it was.

"I had to tell Elisabeth I didn't need my birth control." She murmured, Nathaniel shifted at her tone; that was something they had talked about months ago. He thought they had settled it.

"Second thoughts?" He hoped not because privately he was hoping that they would do far more of this and perhaps expand their little family.

"No, but it is never fun discussing that with anyone. She said it could take awhile to conceive, a year or more even." Alicia raised her head, brown eyes studied his; he struggled to see what she was asking.

"We've got time, and we'll practice." He had figured that much, and he didn't care if it took a few months or a few years; he would always welcome a child with her but he already loved her. "If we have a baby in a year I will be happy but if it is just us I will be just as happy. We are in no rush."

She smiled and nuzzled back into his neck, he trailed a hand down her back. Sometimes his warrior wife was just a woman wanting to hear that he understood. Nathaniel held her for a long time as she slept on him; he knew she needed it.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Alicia jogged along the fence line, she had been home three days, yesterday had been busy as she caught up on colony business and was briefed on their current power situation. And passed on the rumors she had learned, and now knew to be true; Terra Nova would not go back online.

It put them in vulnerable a position, and with two EMPs in less than a year they could not afford it. She had served in the land wars, she knew what technology could do when compromised; with proper preparation they would be stronger without it. She would head up the first phase of that on a security stand point.

Stopping outside the training compound she stretched her back and then bent to touch her toes; easing the last few kinks out before she went to work. Given their future may not include sonic pistols for each soldier they had decided hand to hand combat could use some improving. Between the three of them, Nathaniel, Guzman and herself she figured there was going to be plenty of stiff and sore muscles over the next few weeks; but they wouldn't be the ones taking a beating.

Apparently there was no pity to be had on the first round of soldiers as she stepped into the room and a wall of warm air; they had no ac. By the end of the day the room would be muggy and rank when she had finished putting the kids through their first round.

All soldiers without watch assignments had been reposted for today's mid shift and stood assembled at the mats; Guzman leaned against the wall nearby. She nodded to him as she stripped away her weapons and the light vest she wore over her tank. The waiting soldiers were not nearly as calm and as all of the night watch was assembled she figured some were waiting to be called out.

Dropping her gear belt on the pile Alicia turned to face them. "We knew going forward wasn't going to be easy. We knew we would have to adapt to this world. Here is your first lesson."

She took a moment to flex her knuckles, she sincerely hoped none had overindulged at lunch as she could already smell the sweat in the room. "Weapons that need a trigger, the weapons you rely on are no good to you if they don't have power or if someone takes them off you. Then the only weapon you have as your own body."

There was a mix of reactions, to their credit most looked interested, a few looked concerned but there were a couple of smirks she wanted to get rid of. "The Sixers only have the weapons they can make, they've adapted. The Phoenix have experience you don't; most of you were kids during the land wars and the rest of you had other lives."

Their veteran soldiers had been pulled in for the discussion this morning and had been given their orders; Guzman would train them. There was a number of reasons she had taken on all the members of security with no previous military experience prior to Terra Nova. In the war zones, trenches and battle fields around the dying planet veterans had learned every way weapons could fail. Those who came in the first two pilgrimages had seen all war had to offer and had come ready for another.

A shortfall in their training for all the soldiers who began here, in this new world was the size of the enemy they knew. Not the Sixers, though Nathaniel told her they were becoming allies slowly, and not the Phoenix but the predators that towered over them. That was the enemy they had trained these people to fight, there had been other training in there but now the human threat loomed large. There would be new weapons to learn but more importantly would be their skills in close quarters.

"Today I will disarm each and every one of you and we will fight until one of us goes down. Tomorrow we will do the same thing, we will continue to do it until you can put me down." She let those words hang in the air, she glared out; there were still a few smirks. But one she didn't mind, that one was entirely for her benefit, Guzman smirked and looked like a man who should have his feet kicked up in front of a screen; he knew what this would be.

"Denke up." She called the first joker to the mat, the young man schooled his expression. Alicia knew what he was thinking as she handed him the blunt knife they would use; there was nearly forty soldiers here. All had served some time, but she figured he wasn't considering the fact she had fifteen years in; fifteen years in Commander Taylor's bull pen.

He immediately settled his hips low, bent his knees and shifted to the balls of his feet. In the ring it was a good stance, and he didn't lead with his weapon; a fatal mistake she figured many would make. Alicia didn't drop into position right away, instead she let him circle her a few times like an animal looking for a way to strike.

She saw what he didn't, knew what he didn't and when he lunged she ducked back; he slid past her. Hit a knee on the mat but she was on her feet behind him and yanked her forearm across in throat; pulling it snuggly against his wind pipe. Flexing her hand and increasing pressure she took the knife from his hand as he let panic take over.

Holding the knife she released him roughly, letting him flop on the mat life a fish. "You may as well have told me were you wanted to hit you stared at my hip long enough."

She stepped over him and extended the handle to the silent group; it was a moment before the next one took the offer. The room was now suitably interested, but when Skye stepped up Alicia kept her face blank; this would warm her up. Soon they were into it and calling out tips to their friends without realizing that only made it easier for her.

….

End of shift was less than an hour away when he stepped into the training compound, greeted by a stinking wall of hot air and sweat. His wife had been at it for hours and when he saw her he could tell she was working hard; but her stance and her eyes told him she was loving it.

He couldn't miss the fact that every person in the room was watching her closely as she circled Dunham; the young soldier was scared of her; it was practically rolling off the kid in waves. Years ago he had put her in the bull pen with his men to break her; this was what they'd made. Given the exhaustion showing on her and the worn faces of the soldiers she was nearly done for the day.

Dunham lunged and in what he was sure was a kind move Alicia spun, avoided and stuck out a foot then pinned the young man under her hip; reaching for the knife he clung to. Nathaniel sidled up to Guzman who was chuckling at the sight before him.

"How have they been?"

"Pathetic Sir, with a handful of exceptions absolutely pathetic. She's just played with most of them and the ones who have hit her haven't followed through. Reynolds was decent and Skye might have had a chance if she hadn't put up a welcome sign on her right flank; those two got her into a hold at least." Guzman reported cheerfully.

They both watched the next round silently, Logans moved fast, dancing around Alicia; wielding the knife in wide arcs. She was tired but he practically heard her disgust, saw something flicker in her eyes and looked closer at the boy; he saw it too.

She stayed out of reach and let him move, wasting his energy quickly as the light went out in his eyes; he had been trying to bait her. When his arm lowered a fraction, almost disappointed she struck and sent the knife flying away; he saw the surprise in the kid's face as Alicia pulled him into a choke hold.

The kid was a fighter, he stomped her instep hard and twisted wildly, he saw the kid land several blows to her ribs in effort to get free; but he saw the fire in her eyes. Alicia let him go to spin back on her, fancy foot work was gone the kid was fighting to win. He landed punches, not trying to put her in a hold but simply beat her down; Nathaniel knew it wouldn't work. But a mean right hook threw her back and he felt his gut tighten. It wasn't easy to watch the boy try for a second, Alicia didn't let it connect, she evaded and let the force of his swing throw his weight before a well placed elbow to his back sent him sprawling.

"Decent." Guzman commented.

"Was that the last one?" He checked, it was time to show these recruits some real control, on the man's nod he smiled slowly. "Time to play."

He rounded the mat as Alicia squared her shoulders, clearly reading his intent. They would spar but he knew he had an unfair advantage so this would be an exercise in control for them both rather than a fair fight.

There were hushed whispers as they dropped to circle each other, she threw the first punch, stopping it a hair from his chest. In a dance they knew well they ducked, dodged and twisted to field each other's blows. The only contact they made was holds and the blows necessary to escape them. It took him a solid ten minutes to pin her to the mat, holding her down he looked up to meet the soldiers' eyes. "Let that be your lesson. Same time tomorrow. Dismissed."

As the soldiers filed out he picked her up carefully. In a few hours it would sink in, she would be stiff and sore; probably covered in bruises. Right now she grins at him, and gives him a terribly chaste kiss before pulling away and turning to her gear.

He hadn't spent the shift as energetically as she had and steps easily around her; scooping up her gear himself. Silently she stands, allowing him to fasten the cargo belt around her waist, clip the weapon holsters to it and reach down to strap them to her thighs; knife on one hip and pistol on the other. They each carried one of her antique weapons and had discussed the fact that they would be getting far more use out of them in the future.

"It wasn't as bad as it looked, they made mistakes; but they made the ones I offered them. They won't make them again, and a few proved they were thinking it through."

"Even though they failed." He smirked. "I'll believe you when I see some getting close to pinning you." But he was glad that tomorrow was Guzman's turn. She did not need to practice combat every day and as he was the one who took her home and saw what it did to her he was happy to spread the task around.

"Skye was good, if she hadn't had the knife she would have been hard to take, it gave her a false sense of security; she left her right side open for me." Alicia didn't fight when he tucked her under his arm and they stepped out into the hot sun; but with the breeze it was much nicer than the training compound.

"Held the knife in her right hand." He guessed, it was a mistake too many made; better they make it in a training ring with their CO then in the field with an enemy. Alicia would cause them a little pain to help them remember the lesson; an enemy would kill them and take the knife for a prize.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Well they're not pathetic anymore but I wouldn't want to be taking many of them into a hot zone." Guzman sighed at the morning meeting, sadly Alicia nodded in agreement; there were a few that they had passed through the training in the week. The rest would continue to work on their hand to hand. That did not reassure her as they were preparing these skills should they come up against the Phoenix and their old tricks.

"And this is where you terrify me, I've watched them fight and I don't think they're bad; I am surprised you all survive each time." Shannon commented, giving them an innocent look under three brutal stares.

Alicia didn't comment, he was the only person currently present who had never attended military boot camp or served in any capacity and did not understand the full threat of mercenary groups; especially ones they believed would become desperate. He was cop and good at what he did, he had a head for theory but when it came to combat he was clueless.

"End of shift, seventeen hundred, time they had a reminder and you had a lesson Shannon; you've never been in the bull pen." Nathaniel murmured giving her a pointed look; she knew that meant they would fight. And this time it would not be an exercise in control, it was Guzman's day to run the soldiers through their paces so this time they would both come in fresh. This time it would be brutal.

The military portion finished Alicia rose to get a second cup of tea as they shifted to a departmental meeting and Guzman excused himself; there was ten minutes before the department heads were due. She fixed a cup for herself and a second for her husband. As she set it in front of him he caught her wrist in his strong hand and held her steady a moment; his eyes searched hers and she shook her head. Two department heads had a lot to answer today, they needed time lines from both Malcolm Wallace in science and Dean Jones in construction.

The two had been tasked with a number of projects but one required they work together; and she was tempted to lay a bet on when the builder decided to deck the scientist. Alicia listened quietly as Jones laid out the plans he had created and Malcolm sulked. Not deterred by the lack of power Jones had created blueprints by hand; Malcolm had come with an excuse. Jones had several key tasks in the near future, one he was ready to begin on and that was a second wall of defense; this one made of stone. It would also provide an increased area for growing crops and possibly offer some protection from a sonic wave. His other project was a hydro system harnessing the power of the river that ran just beyond the northern fence.

From a construction stand point it would be quite a task as it had to support the amenities of the colony. But on the science side all that had to be done was hand over the drafts, she saw Jones cover a look of irritation; it was more than she bothered to do.

"Malcolm we need that schematic; construction can't even complete surveying without the data on energy use. I don't care what research you have on right now, all projects are to be suspended until this is ready." Nathaniel growled, privately Alicia was glad that this was all they were counting on him for.

Boylan might be a pain but the man could work and with his little team he was busily cranking out chips for the equipment they couldn't do without. Terra Nova needed power in one form or another.

"I don't see why we can't repair all the chips and use that system until this is functional; even after construction I will need to conduct numerous tests before we can rely on it." The scientist laid his hands on the table; as though their demands were unreasonable; Alicia had an idea.

"Commander with this project taking precedent perhaps this would be the best time to move all the artifacts into storage. I believe Jones gave me a report stating that the facility was complete; and the science division is busy." Malcolm began to splutter as Jones confirmed the secure holding was complete; Alicia knew exactly what that scientist was spending his time on. They'd had their fun with the data from the badlands, now it had to take second to the welfare of the colony.

Her husbands blue eyes glinted like steel as he nodded. "Have a team begin now; they've got all they need from it."

As Malcolm began to barter Alicia left and gave the order; some days scientists were too much. The colony had bigger concerns than research right now, they needed the science division to function in a practical manor. Someday they might have the safety to look deeper into the history of this land and its inhabitants but for now they needed to fight for that future.

She took her time assembling and briefing the soldiers who would complete the task and returned as the department heads filed out. Alicia smiled a little at that, she knew Jones had some of the same issues with Malcolm they did; the man was a scientist with no head for the realities of the world. He ignored half the orders he was given and did as he pleased, before it had been irritating but the day he became a liability she would strip him of the position herself.

...

At end of shift he strode into the training center, the soldiers stood around the mat, Shannon and Guzman stood with them. Alicia stood at the edge stripping off her excess gear, he removed his holster and the combat belt he wore and caught his wife's soft smile as they both removed their wedding bands.

They were going to hurt each other and leave many marks on each other's flesh; some would wonder how they could do it to the person they claimed to love. But their love was real and deep and this was simply a part of what they were; what war had made them. He loved his wife, and loved her in the state she was; that being alive.

In war that meant being faster, stronger or better than the enemy; that meant the marks he left helped ensure he kept her. They faced each other, dropped their hips and shifted their weight; he waited for her to throw the first hit.

This was no control fight, he landed blows just as hard as she did, and they slammed their bodies together stopping just short of actually doing each other permanent harm. In a sense they were still playing, only this time the gloves had come off and they were each playing to win. But he knew that was not what it looked like.

He heard a few gasps as he deflected her shoulder by heaving her across his back and the slight moans of sympathy as she drove an elbow into his hip; inches from a groin shot she would have taken in a real fight. But from the side he knew they could not see she'd not hit the mark they thought; had she taken her shot she would have put him down.

But had they been taking the hits each would have gone down and out several times. A well placed fist to the throat could easily kill a man and a fist to the chin knock him out. They were breathing hard when she took his feet out from under him; he countered quickly and took her down with him. Alicia sprang back up nearly as fast as he did and when he tried to get a boot in her gut to force her down again she caught his knee and jerked him forward as she shoved his shoulder back. They both hit the mat in a bone jarring thud.

"They'll kill each other." He heard Shannon mutter, and he smiled at his wife; a moment before she twisted free of his grasp and they were up again.

"No, they aren't doing each other any real harm." Guzman, he registered but the man wasn't speaking softly. "That is what those wars made them, what you read in the history books isn't half of what they lived. I was stationed state side until the last few months. Time I got there we had won and it was just clean up. Thousands of soldiers fought the land wars, only a few hundred came home right. They came back like this; they've seen and lived things you can't imagine. But if we had lost and the Russo-Chinese took over two continents they would have tried for America, for what resources we had left and it would have been worse than the hell they faced over there."

As if to illustrate the soldier's point Alicia caught him behind the knee and forced him down; forcing a groan out with the air from his lungs. Not willing to let her have him so easy he pulled her over his shoulders and let her hit the mat; they were nearly done.

"I saw combat, but the mind games and strip tactics were over. I've only seen the failed attempts; they've lived the ones that didn't. Over there the enemy would play with their heads, use air borne gases at night to make them to sick to sleep, make them hallucinate and drop electromagnetic bombs to fry their weapons. Then just before dawn they'd move into an area and cut through entire camps. Usually they didn't kill all of them, just cut a few so if they didn't bleed out fast animals or the insane would attack them. The Phoenix group is not new, they just have not been hired by the states before." Finished with the fight as he saw the memory flash in her eyes he let the hold she'd reached for land and was spun into her body; her forearm blocking his windpipe.

She held it for five seconds and then released him, stepping away and heading for her things. The room was dead silent as they put their holsters and belts back on. He slid his wedding band onto his finger as she was strapping her knife to her thigh. Nathaniel crossed to her and picked up the ring still laying on the mat; gently settling it back into its place.

In complete silence they left the training compound; knowing the lesson they had taught would go deep. Going forward combat wasn't just going to be handy, they might need to rely on their weapons against fifty foot predators; but mercenaries were the real threat. They had trained these kids how to survive predator attacks, how to subdue and where necessary kill a predator that thought to make a snack of them. But they had given very few the specialized combat training that was necessary to go up against mercenaries like the Phoenix Group; he had a feeling their soldiers had finally realized that.

The silence told him that, the proof would be in how the next few weeks went. He stole a kiss from his wife and dropped her at the waiting rover near the gates. "Before I forget, Elisabeth needs to talk to us, possibly tomorrow morning."

She would be overseeing a short patrol out to an out post; they were thinking about arming it as a tactical station to begin the process of mapping the land mass. It was an effort both to monitor the Phoenix and find any survivors or their offspring as well as to create a small strong hold should a war come.

He didn't like how close the Phoenix had come, didn't like to know that they were crossing the Badlands or exploring; it only meant they were getting ready to fight to survive. And as they were poorly equipped he figured that meant striking out against Terra Nova for what they wanted. This time it wouldn't be so easy to threaten the colony and he would not make his wife face the scars the past had left on her; they would fight the way the always should have. Side by side.

In the ten days that she had been home they had covered so many topics he could hardly keep them all straight. From their own personal lives and the hope of a family to every aspect of colony business he had missed having someone to discuss with. They had bickered and argued, debating many but had accomplished more than he would have thought possible.

Now it was about putting it into action and her part was as it should be, even if he longed to wall her up in the colony where she would be safe. It was her skill set that would find any one else living in this world and he would be a fool to try and keep her from that. Not to mention make sharing a home with her dangerous.

He reassured himself she would only be gone a few hours; in his arms by midnight. And he would meet her at the gates, until then he would work from Comsend. They had repaired enough communicators and the radio receivers in the rover; they would be in contact at all times. Nothing would go wrong tonight.

…..

Alicia snuck back into the unit late, Boxer stirred from the couch and came to greet her. The critter that had once weighed only a few pounds now weighed twenty and was the size of a dog. An interesting pattern of brown and black with a black patch on one eye the little dino was every inch a pet. She had heard the lectures of the mistake of making the animal a pet but every society had pets of some sort and kids wanted them.

They just had to find the species that would not decide to eat their kids. And so far maiasours were not doing to badly. Zoe had Hank, and while the Shannons had decided he could not be in the house all the time and built an enclosure against the back wall of their unit they'd had no issues.

Alicia being more of a sucker had given up trying to keep Boxer out of anything, and simply admitted to her husband that when it came to the animal she was weak. He was the one who drew the lines for the dinosaur, one being that she was not allowed in the bedroom. Alicia broke it every time he was late getting home.

However her husband was not in bed and had not been at the gate to greet their team. He had been in Comsend most of the night as every time she checked in his voice had greeted her. With a frown she cuddled Boxer against her chest and left the unit, stroking the little dino's head as she walked; it was relaxing to pet her. Circling the Command center she stepped into the radio room to find the night operator sipping a cup of coffee and looking bored.

Frowning Alicia tried to think of where else he might go, the windows of their office were dark and if he had been on the towers he would have come down when the rovers approached. Turning back to the residential area she saw a familiar shadow heading for their door, Alicia lengthened her stride and slipped in just behind her husband.

"Hey." She murmured, tipping her face up for a kiss, he looked tired and annoyed. In the time she had been gone bruises had bloomed on both of them, she wondered if he was as stiff and sore as she was.

"I'm sorry I wasn't at the gate." He murmured, leaning in to take her offer. "False alarm at the storage units. With the possibility of the Phoenix hanging around I am a little paranoid; took Shannon."

Alicia raised a brow as he extracted Boxer from her arms, set her on the floor and tugged Alicia with him. She smirked at her pet's disgust as the door closed behind them.

"You get one guess. He is a pain in my…"

"Malcolm." She laughed, he didn't need to finish that one.

"I tossed him in the brig, he's down there whining to Shannon about how unfair I am." Nathaniel smiled but Alicia was a little concerned.

"Isn't that a little harsh?"

"No more than the world we left, they threw Shannon in prison for having an extra child, tossed thieves into cells for taking things that don't belong to them and created a special type of holding just to keep drunks to sober up. Maybe a night in the brig will have the same effect; not being used for anything else at the moment." And yet she questioned the spark in his eyes, he might never admit it but he was enjoying trying to take the scientist down a notch or two.

"What was he after?" She asked, leaving that alone, technically the man had broken the law by breaking into a military storage hold so they hadn't stepped over a line.

But the fact it was both her husband and Jim Shannon, one who was forever being irritated by the man and the other who had to restrain himself from beating the scientist off his wife with a stick made her wonder how much of a racket the scientist would make. And Nathaniel was not the least bit sorry about the decision if she was reading him right and given his arms and throat were bruised he would have been a sight sliding out of the darkness to catch the would be thief. She had a feeling that alone would have been a sobering sight for Malcolm Wallace.

"A book they managed to bring back when you were evacing out of there. They couldn't fully process it as they were not sure of the language; made a mistake on that though." Nathaniel smiled and Alicia had a feeling that between both him and Shannon Malcolm Wallace was going to take a lot of hits. "I think we will have it processed in a matter of days; and I will get a full report."

"Why?" She ran through the languages they both understood; there were thousands in the world they left behind and between them they hardly made double digits.

"I left it in the capable hands of Maddie Shannon and told her to use the Eye. Without it however she was fairly sure it was an old dialect of Spanish. But she did inform me of something interesting. The Royale Merchant was a British vessel purchased from the French, and she is fairly sure that it is not French or English." His grin was dangerous and Alicia shook her head, she knew exactly what he was doing and in the morning they would discuss it; and he would hear her out. Then she would go and have a word with Elisabeth; they had both married stubborn and bullheaded men.

His hands were working the fastening of her armour and holsters and the grin on his face was not fading; Shannon was probably wearing a similar look. It had been nearly a year ago that Alicia had discovered the information about that ship, and that Nathaniel had chewed Malcolm out for not finding it first. It had not been a good year for the scientist as the needs of the colony shifted into something she was not sure he was ready for; the man was having a tough go.

As her armour fell away she knew that no matter how much the man irritated her she was going to have to keep her husband from rubbing salt in his wounds. Malcolm Wallace had a brilliant mind but it did not work in the way they needed it too; didn't mean the man didn't have his uses. Perhaps the science division needed some more restructuring; she would consider that more in the morning.

Nathaniel had her disarmed and had her armour off in no time and she didn't try to help; he liked to do that and got testy if she interfered. Alicia pulled on a soft shirt to sleep in before crawling into bed with him. He wrapped an arm around her and they both slept; it had been a long day. Morning would come to fast.

…

Nathaniel fidgeted with his empty coffee cup, waiting for Alicia to be ready. She had slept late and he hadn't had the heart to wake her, but Elisabeth was early. The doctor sat on the couch, the small pack she brought on the floor next to her, he knew why she was here but hadn't had the chance to talk to Alicia about it yet.

She had been exhausted last night, and Malcolm had complicated the night; and she had ducked out of the meeting early yesterday. They had more people in the infirmary with environmental illnesses, serious allergies, and a number of children. And as medication supplies ran short they had fewer means to treat them.

The hunt was on for alternative treatments, and the science division felt antibody vaccines was the best way to go. The science of it was lost on him but he got the drift, medications were weakening people's immune systems; vaccines would do the opposite.

Alicia came flying out of the bathroom. "Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you waiting."

"No problem." Elisabeth smiled briefly as his wife dropped down to sit. Her damp hair clung to her cheeks and fell over her shoulders, he saw the doctor eying the bruises; and for a moment he felt sick.

"This is about the medical situation right?" Alicia was ready to focus, a little off by being late but business as usual, and alone with her he had felt the same; now he didn't.

Now Elisabeth was looking at her, at him; he knew she didn't understand them. Most decent men could say they had never hit their wives and what he could justify did not make him feel better as a woman wondered how he could have hurt Alicia; and she sat next to him. He was not an abuser and his wife was not a scared victim, he might have size on his side but Alicia could hold her own in any fight.

He saw Elisabeth frown, felt a hand tighten on his thigh; and glanced over to find Alicia watching him. "Sorry?"

"What do you think?" She looked at him expectantly and he tried to piece together the conversation he hadn't really been listening to.

"Is there another option?" He could piece together most of it, science division wanted his wife for a guinea pig and donor. And his wife was not impressed with his answer.

"Not a very good one. We do not have a reliable supply of the compounds or the equipment to be trying to synthesize medications we used to use. We need to look at a solution not a band aid." The doctor answered.

"And if she is pregnant?" She wasn't right now, but he sort of hoped she would be soon.

"We take the appropriate precautions and monitor mom and baby carefully, the side effects of the medication are serious but short lived and not a threat if Alicia becomes pregnant while taking it." The woman launched into an explanation of the precautions they would take, he focused on his wife; she was listening to her friend.

"What side effects?"

"There are hallucinogenic and neuromuscular inhibiting properties." And as she went on to explain how the properties would manifest in his wife's body he worried.

"We need to discus this. I understand the pressure with so many in the colony sick but this is my wife's health." He wasn't ready to decide and he knew what Alicia would choose to do unless he tried to fight her on it.

They showed her out and he went for his weapon holster, he knew she was going to tell him what she thought. She grabbed her vest and he winced. "Nathaniel what?"

"Nothing." He slid the pistol into the holster and his knife into his belt, he liked the colony knowing she was his wife; he wasn't enjoying seeing his hand prints on her.

"Look don't get all bent out of shape, we can talk about it later. I've got to meet engineering, and then check in on Wallace." She grabbed her gear and headed for the door. "Oh, and you need to talk to Maddie Shannon, the kid shouldn't be working her boss' pet project."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Jaw set Alicia stood a few feet back to watch as Nathaniel had a discussion with the older Shannon girl. Saw her try to cover a look of surprise as the Commander apologized for the position he put her in. Their discussion this morning had focused on that and while he had not been pleased with Alicia's view of the situation he had admitted it was not a spot he should have put a teenage girl.

Maddie Shannon was smart and she was sure the girl had a bright future in the science division; especially at the rate she had finished her apprenticeship and been given an entry position. But taking a pet project from her boss and tossing it in her lap was not fair, and should have been done with a little more tact.

They did not need answers badly enough to complicate the girl's career as it just started. Given she had gotten a blast of Malcolm Wallace this morning she was going to be watching closely to see there were no reprisals from Nathaniel's decision to hand the project to Maddie. She'd had a talk with the scientist, she wasn't sure how much of it had gotten through his head but no one could say he did not have a clear picture of what they expected from him in the future.

And she had chosen to ignore the barbs about the colony becoming a dictatorship; the military ran this colony and defended it. Military leadership and structure was what had been decided well above their heads, things had changed but she had heard no outcry to change their structure; she figured most of the colony understood why it was military personnel making the calls. And beyond a difficult scientist she didn't think anyone in the colony was suffering. She would see that Malcolm was released and sent home tomorrow morning before she headed back out to the out post.

Hopefully he would keep his head down and do the work he had been assigned. As Maddie began to explain what she had learned to Nathaniel Alicia could almost see his fight not to stop the girl. She knew he hated technical language that was not related to tactical planning.

But something else caught her eyes, Reynolds lurked at the back of the room; he had been on night shift and done the training round yesterday. There was no good reason that kid shouldn't be flat on his back trying to get some sleep.

The kid had his hands stuffed in his pockets and his shoulders hunched forward; she frowned and headed over. The blood ran out of his face and Alicia tried not to glare; he looked trapped and guilty. His shoulders squared as she stopped in front of him, one hand came out of his pocket but the other didn't; she could make him salute but that seemed cruel.

"Energizer bunny today Reynolds?"

"No Ma'am; but Maddie stayed up all night, Darren; I mean Dr. Combs said she could leave at lunch." It didn't take much to figure that he was waiting for Maddie but it was well known that the two were together; it did not explain the guilt in his expression.

"Problem with your right hand soldier?" She asked, referring to the one still jammed in his pocket; the blood that had ran out of his face flooded back.

"No Ma'am." The hand didn't move.

She waited and he glanced at where Maddie was still explaining something to Nathaniel; blue eyes looked dull and she knew he was trying not to zone out. In time the girl would learn how to report to him, no sense in teaching her too soon. Reynolds started to back out of the room, raising a brow she followed.

The hand slid from his pocket, a small box clutched in it. Alicia schooled her expression quickly, keeping her face straight; secretly she was pleased. "I uh applied to move out of barracks and was approved; I get my own unit the first of next month."

She was aware of that, Nathaniel had commented before approving the request and doing some fast math she figured it fit. Payday was a week ago Friday and Maddie had turned seventeen a few months after the occupation; she couldn't be more than two months from her eighteenth birthday.

"Sure about this soldier?" She asked coolly, the kid was solid and he had followed Maddie around like a puppy since she arrived.

"Yes Ma'am but…"

"What?"

"Well I tried to talk to Shannon but I don't think he understood me. I mean what I meant, he doesn't understand the rules and I really want to marry Maddie." Nathaniel's famous rules, the stupid lecture he gave his soldiers to try and reduce the fooling around they would do and did despite the lectures on finding the right woman and treating her with respect.

She agreed with the principles, and the values but he took it a little far. "How do you think the Commander did with following his own rules?"

"Ma'am?" He looked confused.

"Reynolds its not Shannon you want to marry it is Maddie. It should be her decision and her opinion that matters most. Ask her, deal with Shannon later. Sometimes it is better to ask forgiveness than permission." And given she didn't need to be a scientist to guess what the girl's answer would be; it would shorten a long process of getting around Shannon.

"Yes Ma'am." The kid murmured and Alicia smirked before heading back to see if Nathaniel was done; she'd have to keep her mouth shut about that for awhile.

….

He handed several of the pages Maddie had translated off to Alicia and settled behind his desk with his own stack. The kid was fast, and her work was good but she could talk a mile a minute. She'd been twenty minutes explaining that she had identified the dialect, not only language but also the region where it was spoken and when.

Then she'd given him the portion she had finished with, and as he settled in to read it he realized it was more of a ledger than a journal. Alicia was suspiciously quiet as she worked, he paused to watch her chewing her lower lip and sneaking glances at Shannon. Maybe she was more upset about the decision to use Maddie than she let on, he knew it was an awkward spot for the kid and while it hadn't been his idea he had thought it a good one; especially given her broad range of knowledge.

But he had thought they had sorted that out, she had been off since they left the science division this morning. As lunch approached Shannon disappeared and a grin broke on Alicia's face; he gave up trying to read.

Leaving his desk he rounded her and leaned over her shoulder, resting his hands on either side of her; she had no route to escape. "Spill woman."

"Shannon is going to be very upset when he gets back this afternoon." Alicia murmured softly.

"Why?"

"Reynolds isn't just getting ready to play house; he's got a ring." There was a glint in his wife's eye, clearly she was pleased about this bit of information.

"How did you sniff that out?"

"Scared him into showing me." She grinned, and he thought back to the morning, he had seen her leave for a few moments while Maddie briefed him. "Said Shannon didn't understand your rules, I told him since you didn't follow them he could have a pass on the sit down with the father; it's Maddie's opinion that matters most."

"And that my dear just proves you are not the father of a daughter. You are going to catch heat if Shannon gets wind that you passed on that advice."

"Oh I know." And given she was due to go OTG in less than forty eight hours he figured she planned to drop the irritated man in his lap.

Shannon was back in less than an hour and given the man's mood had darkened considerably he figured there had been news waiting for him when he got home. Nathaniel wondered if he should have laid a wager on how long it would take the cop to tell them. He was aware of the fact that Alicia had enjoyed her secret and now was enjoying the man's pain as she plowed through her paperwork with a grin.

When the man got up for yet another cup of coffee Nathaniel decided to poke the bear. "Something wrong Shannon?"

"That depends on your point of view." Shannon stared at the cup in his hand for a long moment. "Reynolds wants to marry my daughter; she's hardly seventeen."

"She'll be eighteen in less than two months." Alicia smirked, and he watched the man turn on her.

"She is a kid, she's just got her first job. And he is three years older; almost four." At their raised brows the man rubbed a hand through his hair. "I know you two have quite an age gap but four years is a lot when she is only seventeen."

"It is three years, the way their birthdays fall he is four years older than her for all of six weeks. And at seventeen he was already here working security." Alicia argued, clearly not understanding that there was no winning this fight, he'd never had a daughter but he had known a father-in-law and that had been difficult by times.

"Where were you at seventeen, at eighteen? You were just a kid. Had you ever even thought about marriage?"

Clearly Shannon wasn't thinking things through and he watched as Alicia leaned back in her chair. "On my eighteenth birthday I was on an air transport that was shot down over the Oceania region; the Russo-Chinese took over Australia three weeks before. I started boot camp on my seventeenth birthday. So no back then I wasn't so much worried about marrying as I was surviving."

He remembered that day, it had been his unit on that transport and they'd lost two soldiers. Alicia didn't tell the man she'd spent the evening of that birthday working to dig war graves and mark them so that someday the military could return for their dead.

Shannon was silent for a moment, pacing the room between the desks and the table he usually worked from. Clearly trying to sort out his thoughts. "He's got a ring, he's got a house; next he's going to want a baby. Maddie is my little girl, she isn't old enough for this."

"Have they set a date?" Alicia asked, earning herself a glare; and not the least bit concerned about it.

"No, a year; maybe next summer. He only asked a few hours ago, don't you dare hurry them through the planning. The longer it takes the more time she has." Or, Nathaniel thought, the more time Shannon had to figure out a way to stall it even longer.

"Elisabeth was only a few years older than Maddie is now when you guys had Josh."

The glare she was fixed with was deadly and he smirked at his wife's lack of concern; Shannon wasn't going to intimidate Alicia Taylor. "Elisabeth said that, that is entirely different. Elisabeth already had her bachelor of science, and graduated med school. She was almost five years older."

He knew that, he had read her file, Elisabeth Shannon, previously Elisabeth Maclin had finished a number of programs that usually took people over a decade to do in less than six years. The woman had lived and breathed school from the time she was sixteen until she was twenty and then began her residencies. Which given the specialities she had taken was well over eight years to earn all the letters she now had the right to sign after her name. She had done it with two children and a husband at home. The woman was, on that front nothing short of impressive and that had been a large factor in her recruitment.

"Not quite four." Alicia replied without looking out from the paper she was reading; either his wife's friend had shared that or Alicia had also reread that file recently.

"Shannon, when you are in a hole it is a good idea to stop digging." He muttered, also focusing on his work. They'd gotten him going, put him through his paces and had their fun; now they had to let the poor man come to terms with the fact his children were growing up.

"You know you still have a little girl, I'm sure you could convince Elisabeth to have another if you are afraid of empty nesting." Apparently Alicia wasn't done, he looked up at her snarl of disgust; Shannon had sprayed her with his coffee. The man's face a mask of horror.

She fixed him with a glare and used the edge of her vest to wipe her face. Nathaniel chuckled, he couldn't help himself and shook his head at Shannon's look of terror; clearly their wives had been discussing things. Given women were prone to such things and his had few opportunities to do anything like it he was secretly pleased she had a female confidant and he knew there was nothing they could do about the shared knowledge. In private he would impress on her that some things she only discussed with him. He wondered if Elisabeth was more open, on second thought it was better he didn't know; he had to work with both Shannons.

"I am going to check the plan for tomorrow. And possibly change." Alicia rolled her eyes at the both of them and left.

….

The next morning dawned sunny and bright as the patrol headed out and the track gave way to rougher land. The rover rocked through the underbrush as they made yet another trip to the outpost. After the first trip out to investigate it they were making another; this time to drop a team and supplies. Guzman's unit would man it in rotating shifts and work on the renovations that were necessary to arm it. But as his daughter's birthday was today she had agreed to lead this trip.

Really Alicia didn't mind, it was a day trip; she would be home with her husband by night fall and the team would be inserted. She wasn't about to turn down the time OTG as she knew between Elisabeth's treatment plan and the moment she learned she carried Nathaniel's child she would be confined to the colony; and she wasn't sure how far off that day was.

This out post had been built mostly as a relay station and had been supplied and manned by military personnel only; the scientists had not done much exploring in the area given the predators that migrated through. She was curious as to what lay beyond the ridge, to her knowledge they hadn't explored that valley. And given the ridge could be a good defensive position she wanted to know a little more about it. They left the colony at oh four hundred and made it to the outpost by nine hundred hours. Alicia radioed in as the supplies were unloaded, confirmed that Guzman would be out with a secondary team the next day; after that they would rotate on a roster.

She had brought three members of her own unit for the trip, Reilly as her back up and the other two who she wanted to observe a little more OTG. She had warned Nathaniel that she wanted to take a scenic route back that morning so they had several hours to explore.

With supplies and the team dropped safely inside the gates Alicia took shot gun and let Reilly drive; indicating they head up to the ridge. The valley rested between the ridge and the mountains beyond, she doubted anyone would try to pass through the mountains but it would be a good direction to force an enemy. The ridge ended with a steep downward slope; it would be difficult to navigate a transport down it.

This end was relatively open and parked on the ridge she looked out into the valley, using binoculars to search for any indicators of what inhabited the valley. The view was impressive, if she wasn't scouting she would have taken the time to enjoy it; but they needed to keep moving. Twisting in her seat she pointed to Jenkins. "Keep an eye on that river, we will follow the ridge across until we meet with the track. I want to know if it veers away from the colony or follows course."

He nodded and immediately pulled out his binos, she had brought those two for very different reasons. One she had to decide if he needed to spend more time within the gates of the colony to learn a bit more about duty and the other both her and her husband were considering for promotion.

As they continued the jungle around them became thick and with no track the rover rocked and rolled over rock and tree roots, squeezing between the strong tall trunks of ancient vegetation. Alicia caught a flash of movement up ahead. She gestured for Reilly to bring the rover around, it had been fast but she didn't think it was an animal.

Their engine revved as they cut after it, Alicia raised her rifle and eyed the scope; scanning to try and regain a line of sight. They burst through the trees into a clearing just as a motorcycle cut in from the right fifty yards ahead. Her gut tightened and she felt the collective intake of breath from her soldiers; it was a Phoenix soldier.

She raised the rifle again as he turned, extending one arm and fired on them; the sonic went wide. Apparently some of their weapons had survived the EMP or they had also figured out how to fix them. Reilly floored it as Alicia lowered her weapon, there was a girl on the back and judging by the rope binding her to his bike and the lack of movement she was unconscious or tightly bound. Anger boiled inside her. "Get us in close."

Tossing her rifle into the back so it was not easily accessible while she was occupied Alicia slid off her seat and held onto the frame. They closed the distance and as they pulled up, five feet off his back she leapt. He turned but she impacted in a bone jarring collision before he could raise the weapon. Her weight threw their balance and knocked them from the bike. The girl moaned as they hit the ground. Alicia saw stars as her head connected with someone's knee but it didn't knock her out.

He hit harder and the weapon flew from his hand, Alicia fumbled at his hip; taking the combat knife for herself. When she looked up she was pleased to find herself looking down the barrel of three rifles. She grabbed the girl by the scruff and half pulled half crawled her behind the soldiers.

Not more than twenty with skin clearly darkened from the sun and clothes made from hides she was certainly no member of the Phoenix group and Alicia didn't think she was a Sixer either. As Alicia checked her over green eyes cleared, focused and became wild. A hard kick to the chest pushed Alicia back as the girl began to scramble up.

As the girl took off into the woods and Alicia gave chase she heard a weapon discharge, with no charging whine she knew it was the pistol she had given Reilly; she had to trust that Reilly could handle their team. The girl was clearly used to running in the jungle and even though they were both hurting Alicia struggled to gain on her.

Sure footed the girl leapt off a rise, and began to pick her way down the rocks. Alicia paused a moment; it was a twenty foot drop; the lowest point of the ridge as the valley fell away beyond it. She chose a different route and scrambled and slid her way to the ground below just as the girl took off again.

"Wash, where are you?" Her comm crackled.

"Over the ridge." She replied, she didn't have time for anything more. The girl stumbled and Alicia pushed her muscles hard, ignoring the aches until she closed the gap enough to tackle her.

They both went down but Alicia rolled herself on top and used her weight to pin her smaller opponent down; trying to get her breath back. As she did she sat up, and pulled the girl up with her. Able to get a clear look at her she saw the thick callouses on her hands, she had run through the jungle barefoot and she hadn't been easy to catch.

Green eyes were vivid and wide but it was not only terror there; anger too. Alicia saw the flash of anger seconds before a fist plowed into her gut, the girl pulled her fist back and seemed confused; her hand probably hurt. But the blow did not have the power to topple her and the armour eased the impact.

"I will not hurt you." She murmured, and saw recognition flicker in the girl's eye. "You speak English?"

There was a quick nod but no words. Alicia tried again. "I am from Terra Nova, we live that way. We are not with that man."

Another nod. The girl hitched at her tattered shirt, it had been torn down the side, Alicia could see where it had been laced but the lace was missing and the top hung open. Reaching down she removed the extra lace she wrapped around the ankle of her combat boot; she kept it in case the lace in the boot snapped but also because she liked the fit. She held it out and gestured to her own side; a hand darted out and took it. Reaching to her ear she engaged her com. "Hold off on picking me up. Do you need medical assistance?"

"Copy that Ma'am, no medical required."

"Have Denke take the motorcycle back to the outpost. Check ins every ten minutes. Have the Commander informed." She ordered as she watched the girl rub the lace between her fingers and frown before using it to fasten her top.

The top was made of a hide, the scaled side out she assumed the side against her skin was softened. The shorts were made from a similar hide but Alicia did not see laces holding them together. This girl had been living in the jungle a long time, and given they way green eyes evaluated her had never seen the fabrics and materials she wore. Or the weapons as eyes latched onto her thigh holster where her pistol was stored.

"I will not hurt you. I do not know where you have come from."

A hand stretched out, pointing across the valley, to the foot hills of the mountains. She nodded, they had never explored the mountains, if that was where the survivors had gone to live it explained some things.

"Are you alone?"

Emotion crowded green eyes. "They come."

She frowned, did she mean the Phoenix or her rover? She would not reference the military, it was enough that their uniforms were similar; she was thankful her husband did not expect her to follow dress code as it made her slightly different. "My friends will come. They are my ride."

Her head shook. She raised her hand, made the sign for a gun and pointed it at Alicia. "Hunts."

"They shot your hunters? And took women?" Alicia swallowed, so the Phoenix were not going to raid the colony, or at least not right away. How had they found these people, had it been an accident or did they know more about the past than Terra Nova had assumed.

"More come. We must go."

"Engage my locator, get here now." Alicia spoke into her computer and nodded. "My friends will help, you tell us where to go."

"One. You. Too far." The girl gestured at the trees, then turned; Alicia grabbed her hand.

"Wait, I will go but I need my weapon." And she could hear the rumble of the rover, all the same she kept a tight hold on the girl and eased into the trees until she could confirm it was Reilly. "Please wait for me. I will come."

When she got another nod Alicia went to the rover, Jenkins and Reilly eyed her nervously. "Phoenix are in the area, her English is broken and accented. She's not a Sixer and she has been in the jungle a long time. I am going with her, we are going into the foot hills, track my tags and stay close. Update the colony and the outpost; get a team out as back up. I don't know what I am going into."

"Why don't we stay together Ma'am? It would be safer." Reilly asked, she was right; but Alicia had to follow her instinct and her instinct said the girl was right.

"Because if she can get me to their camp faster we have a better chance of stopping what ever the Phoenix think to do."

"Ma'am?"

"She said they killed their hunters, she was strapped to the back of a bike; what didn't the Phoenix bring through with them? What does any civilization need to survive? I wouldn't stand by a year ago. I won't today either. Stay as close as you can." Slinging her rifle over her back Alicia returned to the girl; prepared to face what ever was thrown at her.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Alicia followed the girl into the trees and down to the river, following her carefully as they picked their way across river rocks into the mouth of a cave. The girl shook her head when Alicia started to follow her in, she appeared a second later sitting in a wooden boat of some form; a mode of transportation Alicia had only ever read about.

Uneasy in such a small boat she did as told, sitting in front as the girl paddled down river, the current helping them along. The water roughened and they passed a fall, staying to the far edge of the river; clearly a route this girl had used before. Watching the banks Alicia spotted patches that were worn, and she didn't think they were animal watering holes.

Suddenly the girl tensed and they angled sharply to the shore; the girl's hand grabbed at her back; shoving the rifle around her. Taking the hint Alicia shifted the harness and raised the weapon; looking through the scope for something she could identify. And she did, a Phoenix soldier held a struggling man, a knife to his throat. Alicia took aim and fired, both men fell but she knew she had hit one.

Realizing she was going to be guided by a hand grabbing at her Alicia stepped into knee deep water and followed the girl when a hand pulled at her cargo belt. Clearly she was not going to take a sniper's nest and pick them off; her rifle would be little use.

A quick decision she slung it off and showed the girl. "No good in close."

Hands again, taking it from her and sliding it into the roots of a tree. Alicia nodded, taking her knife she slashed a mark deep into the bark; she had to be able to find it again. Trading knife for a glock Alicia knew she was going to have to make it count; she only had nine shots. She wouldn't use her sonic unless she had to.

Moments later she flashed back to Terra Nova a little over a year ago, crouched in the underbrush as she counted the soldiers in this camp. People were being dragged out of their homes, men separated from women and children shoved aside. They had invaded this little camp, and would destroy it. Somehow the alarm had not gone up yet, the man she shot had not been in this hive of activity; perhaps he was their sentry.

The moment she started firing they would be on her, but she noticed that only a few carried sonic weapons; she saw an awful lot of knives. She would have to fight, perhaps some could get away. "You cannot stay with me. Leave me here, get people out. You take them that way. The woman you saw with me, curly hair. She will find you."

Alicia slid one of her tags from the chain on her neck, she had to hope Reilly would understand what was happening when her tags separated. That her guys were close enough to help. The girl stared at her for a long moment before closing the tag in her hand.

She waited a ten count after the girl had disappeared. Then she fired, she took three shots straight out; the three she saw with sonics. The shots were clean kills and she was moving, another two went down. There was at least one more sonic in use as blasts were hurled in her direction but Alicia moved fast, cutting in an arc opposite of the direction the girl had disappeared.

She shoved the pistol back into the holster as she pressed against the back of a hut; her knife in hand she took out the soldier that made to charge past. Circling around the other side she took out her pistol again; she needed to get all their attention. Not unlike another time she had fought them; only this time she was going to do more than buy time. She was going to win.

When she made it back to the clearing she had watched before only a few men remained, they struggled against the Phoenix; clearly not willing to flee. But the children and most of the women had disappeared. As one child appeared and a mercenary darted after him and scooped him up fury burned inside her.

Alicia raised her pistol and stepped into view; he saw her face a moment before he died. To use a child like that, she knew they were not above it but it made her furious. She had only two bullets left and she didn't know how far out help was or how many were left in this camp. Alicia raced between the huts, in a weaving path. She came to the far side of the camp and found a rhino parked.

Hitting the ground she dove under it, sliding out her knife she popped the line that ran to the power converter free; disabling it. Belly crawling to the edge she heard her pursuers muttering curses; clearly looking left and right not up or down. She rolled out the far side and hid a moment.

Blood hammered through her, hot and angry Alicia did not try to control the hate she felt towards these mercenaries. It should be something she tried to control. She hated what they would do to these people, what they had tried to do to Terra Nova and what they would do to this land given the chance.

Pulling out her sonic she ducked through the hide hanging in a door way. A noise made her freeze, Alicia swept the room slowly, a wizened old woman was curled into the corner, wrapped in hides and hands covering her face. "I am not with them. I will not hurt you and I will not let them hurt you."

Her tone was hard, she didn't know if her words softened it. But Alicia reached down to her ankle and slid her backup knife free; extending the handle to the woman. From the wreckage in the room it had been searched, likely weapons taken. The woman took it and Alicia peeked out before moving to the next.

She was done scrambling, it was time to fight like a soldier. Methodically, systematically, she would sweep every inch of this camp, the Phoenix could only flee on foot and by now there had to be Terra Nova soldiers close by; she had disabled their transport and if she found any others she would do the same to them.

Alicia turned rounded a hut just a two Phoenix soldiers turned the corner, she launched herself at them; feeling a knife graze her side. A blow to the throat dropped one and her knife the other. She continued, she pushed everything else from her mind; she could not remember and could not think of the past. It would only weaken her. She heard an engine rumble, cautiously she made her way back to the clearing.

Two rovers sat there, her men pouring out of them; weapons drawn. She saw their eyes find her, and saw a mix of reactions in their faces; she knew what she must look. "Sweep the camp, there are survivors hiding in some huts; do not harm them. One is armed, she is scared; she is not a threat to you. Any mercenaries you find you deal with. We are not taking hostages."

There were nods and she watched as the divvied into pairs and began to spread out. Reilly stayed behind, Jenkins was notably absent. "Ma'am, are you hurt?"

"No." She murmured, but her anger was fading and her energy gone; right now she hated herself. This was what she hated, this type of fighting.

"You look rough. Do you want my armour?"

"No." She replied in a hard tone, but did look down and realized in the adrenaline she had taken more hits than she realized. Her armour had served its purpose but hung off her in spots and gaped open in others. She was filthy and blood stained, and not all of it belonged to the people she killed.

"The Commander wants you to radio him. You've lost your com." Reilly told her, offering the one she had been wearing; her husband would have something to say.

"Wash to Terra Nova Command." She took it, moving a few feet away, for some semblance of privacy.

"Command to Wash sit rep." Her husband's voice was tight, his tone dangerous; she wasn't sure how much time had passed.

"Phoenix invaded a camp in the foot hills. Situation under control, doing a sweep now before preparing to return to base." Alicia reported quickly.

"There is a group holed up in a cave down hill, Jenkins and Logan stayed with them. How did you get here so fast?" Reilly asked.

"The girl brought me by some kind of boat, not a raft but low in the water; looked like a hollowed out tree." The word escaped her, Alicia didn't want to search for it.

"The kid has your rifle." Alicia smiled numbly, didn't surprise her even though the girl would have no idea how to use it.

The next hours were busy, survivors were coaxed out to the clearing, dead mercenaries hauled out of camp to a grave her soldiers dug; Alicia let Reilly take the count. Right now she could not think about the number of lives she had ended, or the lack of remorse she felt.

But she felt the shift in how her men looked at her, in the murmurs she heard and the way they jumped to her orders. They were nearly done when Jenkins and Logan turned up, surrounded by people; again Alicia did not try to count.

She watched the older woman she had given the knife to be embraced by another, somewhat younger; perhaps a daughter. But the cry she heard as the woman launched herself at a man; possibly the man she had first seen; she couldn't be sure. All around her families reunited, some eyed the soldiers skeptically and she caught some others pointing at her.

"Are we leaving them here?" Reilly asked hesitantly.

"I don't know." The girl they had first met approached and held out her rifle, Alicia took it and slung it over her back. "I need to talk to you."

The girl shook her head and darted away, returning a moment later, bringing the man with her. The old woman followed, stepping between them she offered the knife to Alicia in the same way it had been offered to her. Nodding she took it and tucked it in her belt. There was fast words in a language she didn't understand.

"We will not make you come with us but more of those men might come." She told them, hoping they understood.

"You live on falling river." Alicia stared blankly at the man. "High walls, many candles; many people."

"It may not be safe for you to stay here, can you move your camp? Or come with us? Just until it is safe again." Until Terra Nova found a way to keep the mercenaries on the far side of the badlands.

"Mine and my mother. We come." The man said, even as Alicia looked around she saw that it was only her soldiers who stood idle; around them the camp buzzed with activity. "On the river."

"We have vehicles, we can drive you."

"We camp at the high walls; we come by river." The man spoke firmly. "You go. We come."

…..

Nathaniel paced the gate, various reports had come in, and the soldiers at the outpost had already submitted some reports. The sun was high in the sky when he got the call that his wife's team was ten out; off the track. It was a long hour before he went down to the gate.

He found it hard not to worry, he had expected her home last night and even after she had assured him they were safely at the outpost for the night he worried. Yet he could not stop her from her job, she was good at it and leading teams OTG was something that she enjoyed. And something he knew had always been one of her duties, ever since they had arrived she was often the one going on the OTG trips; that was just the structure of the military.

Something that was deeply engrained in them both that he often caught himself thinking of it even though they were no longer bound by those rules. And it was something he knew they would not turn away from, even if some rules were bent a bit more. He would feel better when duty was done and they could go home for the day; and put everything else aside.

The gate began to rise, logs clanking together as they were pulled up and the rover rolled through. Reilly drove, Alicia was shot gun but immediately he could tell things had been worse than any had said. All faces were grim but his wife's was cast straight and blank; a look he had seen before. She'd killed, he knew that from the reports but seeing her he knew it had been brutal.

When she stepped from the rover he saw that she was favoring one knee, her armour was on but patched and he wondered what it hid. She would be professional, it was her way of coping as she processed things.

The soldiers were dismissed and one of the guards took the rover around to the bays. Alicia watched before turning and walking with him towards the Command Center. He calmly adjusted the path towards the infirmary. She briefed him quickly.

"We've put extra men on the towers along the river." He told her, watching her and wanting to see some reaction from her.

Alicia would pull into herself and evaluate the events of the past day. When she had sorted it out for herself she would talk. He understood that she was the only one who fully knew what had happened in that camp and she had fought alone.

As they arrived at the infirmary Elisabeth Shannon was hurrying out, she saw them and redirected; word had travelled fast. "She's steady Doc, we'll just get checked before we head home."

"You've done something to that knee and your side." The woman reached out and as she reached for her side his wife snapped a hand around her wrist.

The doctor withdrew, brown eyes filled with concern as Alicia moved past her. He nodded to the doctor and she murmured to him. "I've cleared the second exam room for her."

He guided Alicia back to it and began to strip off her armour, Alicia was stiff but he ignored it. The doctor stepped into the back of the room and watched. She sat on the table silently, he nodded to the doctor and rubbed a hand over his wife's shoulder.

The doctor placed a hand on her knee, and he saw that the fabric was snug around out. The fabric was cut away and the doctor set to work, slowly Alicia eased into his side. He turned so that her cheek rested against his chest. Elisabeth murmured something about a prick and he watched as Alicia drifted to sleep; he lay her back slowly.

"You have seen her like this before?" Elisabeth Shannon demanded.

"There is an important difference between Alicia and I. Alicia is a soldier and a medic. She will never kill in cold blood and in that we differ; I know I can." He had accepted that about himself just as he knew Alicia could accept that about him but never for herself.

"She was defending those people. She was doing her job." Elisabeth murmured, now Alicia was unable to stop her the woman pressed a palm to her cheek.

"Remember the history with the Phoenix and give her the time to decide it for herself. She did what she had to and know she needs to check herself; it is what she does. Killing makes her feel out of control, even if she is doing it on an order; the few hours she spends like this allows her to regain herself and keep going. The sooner she can do it the sooner she will move past it." It was her way of debriefing herself and putting the past aside to keep living. She would still do her job and should they need her fight just the same but she needed this time.

He watched the doctor work, his wife lying still as her knee was treated and the wrapped in ice and the doctor moved on to her side. A shallow gash had been stitched and judging by the work Alicia had done it herself; but her body was battered. The stitches were removed, the wound cleaned and pressed with soothing ointment before being restitched; it would reduce scarring.

Considering the body count she had come out lightly, he wouldn't press her to talk about it tonight. Instead he handled shift change and then took her home, reassuring Elisabeth that she would rest; he would try and keep her leg elevated and iced. He wanted to wrap her in his arms, to tell her that it was alright; she was alive and those people were too because of her. But it wasn't time.

Now she needed quiet, settled on the couch with Boxer's head in her lap; she rubbed an ear reflexively. Nathaniel settled on her other side, he rubbed her back; accepting the silence between them. Eventually she did turn into his arms and disgusted at not being chosen Boxer abandoned them.

He held her, pulling her up and stretching out on the couch he held her cheek into his neck; murmuring a reassurance. "You did your job; they are safe."

He hoped it was true. Wondered if they would make good on their word and come down to the colony; but then they had no way of knowing how long that journey would take. Perhaps some of them would be able to tell them more of what had happened before Alicia arrived.

"One grabbed a child as a shield." She replied, he figured she must have settled it for herself. "They weren't crossing the badlands to attack the colony; they were looking for those people."

"Why?"

"We were too late, some had already been taken, and they were taking women. The Phoenix aren't trying to go back; now they are trying to settle. We are going to fight them at every turn or they will allow history to repeat and someday this world will be like the one we left." She sighed, and he couldn't help but smile a little. Their dream was that this colony would be the start of a civilization that would care for the world.

"We will fight and we will win. We've won before and we've beat them before; and we will again." He promised, what he didn't say was that by now their numbers had to be hurting, but the colony was growing.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

It was dawn as she climbed to the tower, her husband behind her, Alicia ignored the hand offered as she pulled herself up to the lookout. She took the binos offered and started to scan, following the river back into the hills. It took her a moment to spot the small crafts like the one she had traveled in; there was a whole chain of them.

"They are moving fast. They must have left only a few hours after you." Nathaniel commented beside her, she had only arrived back at the colony the day before.

"They seemed to know where we were." She tried to focus on the boats, some did not look to have people in them. Were they all coming?

"Keep an eye on them, when they round that last bend let us know, I'll suspend work on that wall for the day." Nathaniel instructed, handing back the binos.

They climbed back down and he headed towards the market, she stayed in step beside him; she knew he was slowing his pace for her. He thought he could be quiet in crawling out of bed but he never was, she knew if he'd managed to get out of bed without her he would have left her behind this morning.

As it was he had already ruled that she needed to check in with Elisabeth this morning and talk to her. That much she understood, yesterday had been rough; she knew her nerves had been short and the doctor had caught a bit of it. She shouldn't be glad that Nathaniel was used to it but she was and he knew to push and when to let her be.

They were up early enough she was debating trying to catch the woman on her way to work. It would be short and by the time they got to the clinic there would be others needing the doctor's attention. First however she sat on a large rock and shared a coffee with her husband.

His hands roamed and she knew he had not planned such an early morning; they had made it a late night in catching up. Alicia was always surprised by how much she missed his touch and how good it felt when they were together again; the first time after one had been away always felt special to her. Even if he felt the need to treat her like glass.

Last night had been theirs, this morning their time belonged to the colony and as they had coffee and fruit he filled her in on the day she had been gone. The Sixers had come for their man, he wasn't back to full strength yet but Elisabeth had expected him to make a full recovery. Mira had been interested in a deal to help them quarry stone; although that was already under way and trenches for the base were being dug.

And there had been no complaints or incidents with Malcolm Wallace; she figured it was too soon to judge whether his time in the brig taught him anything. He could just be sulking over having the project he wanted taken away. But it reminded her that she should make a stop over there and let him know he was being watched; she also needed to congratulate Maddie on her engagement.

Shannon had yet to surface; she wondered if he had settled down and accepted the fact his daughter was growing up. That could be entertaining for a while yet. As the sun climbed in the sky the colony woke up, Alicia left Nathaniel talking to Jones from Construction and went to find Elisabeth.

She fell in step beside the doctor not a block from her unit; the woman frowned at her. "You can't use crutches for a few days?"

"It doesn't hurt." She shrugged, actually there was a dull ache but it was probably from climbing the guard tower and she was not going to tell the doctor about that.

"Your body takes enough wear and tear with how you work, you don't need to do it more; especially not right now." Elisabeth looked at her pointedly and Alicia did her best not to roll her eyes; there was something behind that look.

"Is there something I should know?"

"Are you on your period?" Alicia scowled, that was not something she wanted to discuss in the street; but shook her head. "Come see me for blood work in a few days; could be nothing."

"Not likely." Could she have been carrying Nathaniel's child through that fight? Her mind flashed back to the boy the mercenary had picked up; to the man's eyes the moment he realized she was there.

"You were off yesterday, more emotional than I have ever seen you; I haven't seen you have a coffee in weeks…"

"Just finished one." She corrected.

"Pregnancy can alter preferences and I've noticed you seem a little bloated and tender."

"Try swollen and sore from sparring." She was not pregnant, she could not have carried her baby into a fight like that.

She would not risk it like that, she wanted a baby and maybe more than one; she would not jeopardize that. It was a life she had almost given up on and it was one of very few things more important than her career. Not even starting on what Nathaniel would do, he would worry for both her and the child and have no control over it; that was her responsibility as it was her body the child would live in. "I am not pregnant."

The doctor only nodded, a smirk fixed on her face, on this one the woman had to be wrong. "I want you back end of the week so I can check your side and that knee. If it isn't healing I am going to tell your husband to put you on bed rest and I am not going to tell him why."

"How is wedding planning going?" She changed the subject; there was no way she would let them put her on bed rest. Nathaniel was liable to do it and the man could be damn difficult to get around on some things.

"Well Jim is still alive; he was hoping for a long engagement." Elisabeth rolled her eyes. "Mark and Maddie are thinking of waiting about six months. It will be just before the rainy season, and Maddie will stay at home until after the service; we agreed on that little rule for Jim's sanity."

She chuckled, that could be so much fun to tease Shannon about. "They need anything?"

"Well a dress would be a good start. Maddie wants white, she's got an idea but I don't know that any of the seamstresses have the fabric for it." Elisabeth sighed.

"I'm sure we can dig up something." If not she knew something that could be scavenged; she would hate to do it but she had married Nathaniel in her dress blues and had no real use for it.

"The colony is running short on some things. I know they are learning to make different fabrics and such but Maddie may just have to settle. In time we'll get something." They stopped outside the infirmary and Alicia nodded; she wasn't going to say anything yet. "There is something else."

"Yeah?" Alicia asked.

"The group you met up on that ridge, they are coming here?" The doctor hesitated, she nodded. "We need to be careful, with the sicknesses in the colony, there is risk of us exposing them to diseases but they could do the same to us. I know you have already had contact; but be careful how many have close contact over the next few weeks; until we can work something out."

"We will do our best." They parted ways and Alicia made her way up to the Command Center to do some paperwork for a bit; and though she wouldn't admit it to get off her feet. Nathaniel had already buried himself in a schematic for the outer wall and Shannon was absent; absently she checked the rooster. Reynolds was on the tower so the man was probably not trying to intimidate his future son in law.

The first form on her desk was the reprimand she had taken Denke out to decide about. She hadn't had a problem with him but then she had given him no leeway, which had been her first intention; if given enough rope people tended to prove whether or not they would hang themselves. He'd been smug in training but she was fairly sure she and Guz had beaten that out of him. But they were unit COs and couldn't be in charge of every team on every mission. And she had her set, soldiers she trusted in her rover and at her back; Denke wasn't one of them.

The charge was insubordination and she couldn't say she had seen it, she wanted to as she knew the team leader who submitted it and knew the woman was not one to make empty claims. It was something to put in his file, if it became a pattern it could be his court marshal, if it was a one off he was just one of many kids who still had some growing up to do.

Next was a promotion form she filled out easily with a recommendation and carried over to Nathaniel's desk. Setting it in the stack she knew he hadn't gotten to she leaned over to see what the schematic looked like. His hand slid easily to her back and he eased back to let her see.

The wall would be thick and high, not as high as the fence but enough to deter any human enemy and quite a few predators. There would be three points of entry, the main gate, a tunnel under south gate and the west gate where the wall would run to the river, break for about ten meters and start again from the banks. The other main would be wider as it would not be blocked but be open for transit in and out of the colony. The other would be open and then the south gate would be an escape route she hoped they never had to use. It would only ever exist in this schematic which would be kept here and locked up; the construction of that tunnel would be done by military personnel.

"Solid enough?" Nathaniel asked.

"Looks to be. Some of the kids will start to think they are living in a castle." She thought to Zoe's fascination with them the year before.

"Not a bad way to live. We've got to be able to defend it. In theory it will reduce the damage sonic waves do."

"Only concern would be the walls will limit expansion."

"True but I have been advised on good authority that when the colony grows to such a size that we need to expand we should consider building a second settlement so we do not over tax the land." At his grin she rolled her eyes.

"Maddie Shannon." He nodded, she wondered how long it had taken the girl to explain that theory; it was a good one.

He prepared to comment when they both froze; the radio crackled to life. 'They've rounded the bend, on approach now.'

…..

They stood on the shore, beyond the fence as the first canoe landed and a man leapt easily to shore. Two other canoes landed as the others continued further up stream to land. The group from the two canoes approached them. He felt their eyes go to his wife, he had to admit this group was a sight.

While the members of the colony had been here for years it was still evident that they had come from the future; it was not so with this group. They dressed in hides, and as he watched the canoes pass he recognized that they were well armed but had none of the modern weapons that the colony relied on; these people had adapted a long time ago.

He turned his attention to Alicia, she watched with a carefully blank expression. It only wavered when an old woman joined the row, a young man reached out to steady her. The woman smiled at Alicia, and approached holding out her hand.

She stepped forward and took the small object and when she held it in her hand he recognized it as one of her tags. The small group stared at them, and then looked around them as if to find more people. Nathaniel wondered how difficult it was going to be to talk with them. Alicia had said they spoke some English but seemed to prefer another language she hadn't recognized.

Yet they had come down here, and in all the time they had been here travelling by boat was not something Nathaniel had really considered; but watching them made him wonder. It was not a skill he had, but it seemed as natural to them as walking.

"Would you join us?" He gestured towards the gate which was still raised, but as he turned to look he saw a girl jogging towards them.

"It's Maddie." Alicia whispered, clearly having seen her already.

He nodded and had to stop the hand that wanted to slide to his weapon, these people meant them no harm but Maddie was still a kid and he didn't know how the Phoenix had found their camp. Life had made him a suspicious man.

But Maddie bounced up beside them, and he saw Alicia's stance shift ever so slightly, keeping the girl at a distance, their bodies in front of hers, at least he wasn't alone. The girl stood a few steps behind and in between them, she held up her plex and keyed something in. He did not understand the words that a translator application spit out but their guests clearly could; and looked confused.

"Let's wait on that Maddie." Alicia murmured at his side, he caught her look; it wasn't bad to have the kid out here.

The quiet response came and the plex was extended so that they could see the words in English on the screen. 'She does not speak.'

"Maddie works in our science division, she builds tools to help us learn things." He spoke, and felt Maddie falter behind him; he knew she had hoped hearing the words in their language would help.

But the translator was helpful. 'You understand our words?'

"Yes, my name is Nathaniel Taylor, you have met my wife Alicia."

The man introduced himself, the young woman with them as his wife and the older one as his mother. The other men were also leaders of their group. Terrell, Garrick and Blade lead these people, and he learned that the group moved between their seasonal homes only a few weeks before.

Conversation was slow and hindered as they could use the translator to understand what was said but the voice of the translator was alarming to the group. As he tried to draw information out of Terrell the older women drew Alicia away.

The translator picked up her words and he felt alarm run through him at the question. 'Your child is unharmed?'

Alicia stared, confused for a moment and the woman repeated the question in broken English; he saw fear cross Alicia's face. The woman did not know them, she could not know that they were trying for a baby and yet he could not shake the concern that had caught him.

"I am not pregnant.' Alicia murmured.

The woman stared at her and he struggled to focus on the conversation he was having. Yet he watched as they walked away, towards the camp that was just beginning to be set up. These people already felt something towards Alicia, and respected her; he wondered a little about their structure.

It had only been the last hundred, maybe hundred and fifty years that women had served in the military in active combat roles. When they had left the world it had been a very different place. They had come to this world without preparation and planning, and from a very different walk of life; or their ancestors had.

He did not see her again until they left the people to set up their camp and walked back to the colony. Her back was stiff and when Maddie left them near the gate he slipped a hand around her, guiding her towards the infirmary.

"Nathaniel, I am not." Her voice was tense, and he knew this was a sore spot between them; but he had seen her hurt too many times.

"Let's just be sure. Please Alicia." Elisabeth approached them and glared at her, Nathaniel frowned.

The doctor brought them back, and calmly took a scan. He watched as Elisabeth Shannon studied the read out, Alicia was too quiet. The woman set it aside and ran the scanner over her knee, he saw his wife's jaw tense.

"My knee is not an issue."

"You haven't let it heal and if you won't take some time off your feet it will become one. You are not pregnant, Nathaniel there is nothing to worry about and Alicia can test herself at home; she has a scanner as part of her med kit." The doctor put the equipment away, and gave her a hard look; leaving them alone.

"Your knee?" He asked, offering her hand, Alicia glared but took it and held it as they walked out.

"Same injury as last year. I am taking it easy." She explained as they headed for the Command Center, and the stairs up.

She put a hand on the rail and he grinned, scooping her up over his shoulder. "Nathaniel, Nathaniel put me down now!"

Oh she was adorable when she snarled, and he caught both her wrists to prevent her escape and hoped she loved him enough not to send them both toppling down the stairs. The soldiers at the top of the stairs struggled not to laugh, he fixed them with a glare and carried her right past them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Her husband was being infuriating, she knew he had been thrown by the old woman's words but it had come as a surprise to her as well. After dinner she left him with his paperwork and slipped out. It was tense right now, ever since she had been in the fight out there; she understood it. She felt the same way when he was in danger, and her position just meant it was her more often.

Alicia let Boxer in the back door and slipped away, she needed some space right now. Taking herself off to an unmanned guard post, climbing up to the lookout that faced the camp that the settlers had put up. There was light from camp fires and she could make out figures moving around.

For a long time she just sat and watched, letting her legs hang over the edge and resting her arms on the lower rail. When she caught a flash of movement below her she twisted to look down; Nathaniel knew her well.

"You cannot rest can you?" He murmured, Alicia shook her head.

"No worse than you."

"We haven't been doing so well lately have we? Keeping things separate." He sat beside her, his arm wrapping around her; Alicia leaned back into his shoulder.

"No." That wasn't something she could argue. Alicia sighed, they were good together except when they did this. "You know that I will pull myself as soon as I know I am pregnant. I want our baby."

"I know that, but sometimes I want to protect you and I can't." She felt his hand sliding through her hair; she wanted to relax into him. "I am always proud of what you do but I can't…."

"I love you." She whispered and let her eyes drift shut for a little while, feeling his chin rest against her. She knew all to well what he couldn't or wouldn't say. It was something they would always have to live with, that fear of life without each other; but they had to keep it from getting in the way.

He began to say something back when his radio crackled, his words turned to a growl and she just smirked; this was their life. "Taylor, go ahead."

"Report from the outpost Sir. Guzman on the line for you."

"Copy." He clicked off and sighed. "Remind me why we fixed these again? If I didn't have it he would have sent a runner and we would have our evening."

"Go on. We will still have our time later." Alicia shook her head and stole a kiss before he headed down the ladder and disappeared into the colony below.

She shifted back to rest with her legs dangling and her chin on the beam, they needed the time; needed to be alone. To feel close and reassure each other, the last mission had done a number on the both of them; even though it didn't do much physical harm.

Sometime Alicia wished that for a few days they could just get away, have that alone time without the colony on their door step. But now was not the time, really it wasn't the time to be trying for a baby either but some things they weren't willing to put off. It would take some juggling, she already knew she was going to have to work up to the due date and come back right after; and they would avoid OTG missions for all they were worth.

She wondered what they would have, Nathaniel would be wonderful with a boy; she knew that. But she wondered how he would be with a little girl, she couldn't figure out if he would be overprotective and keep her from everything or tossing her into the mix and toughening her up. She leaned towards protective, they would both be protective of their child but Alicia wanted to be sure that their little one would know how to fend for themself. She knew the reality of a world without parents, had seen kids who hadn't had the blessing she'd had of grandparents and people who cared.

Alicia thought of the families in that camp, their ancestors had been thrown into a world they knew nothing about. She knew they would have fought tooth and nail to survive, to give their children a life; a chance. That was what the colony was trying to do for theirs, somehow she hoped that if they could ally with both this group and the Sixers they could build some sort of security in the future. She did not want her child to know the horror of war and cruelty that she had.

A noise beneath her cut away her thoughts, someone had raised the gate a few inches and was slipping out of the colony. She heard the chatter of the guards who saw it, and replied that she would deal with it. As he tried and failed to dodge a search beam she got a good look at the man's face; she nearly sighed. Their last discussion had only been a couple days ago.

She slid beneath the rail and climbed down the slats of the fence, there was no rush. Malcolm Wallace was a pain, not a threat; but he wasn't going to know that. She couldn't think of a more harmless person, very frustrating and sometimes clueless as he was right now. She and Nathaniel knew him, the group he was clearly very interested in did not, and she wouldn't blame anyone if they reacted when they saw him skulking towards their camp at night.

It was tempting to stun him, just to teach him that Terra Nova didn't need unknown shadows creeping around their walls at night. But she could practically hear the complaints her friend would have when she had to deliver him to the infirmary. So she settled for sneaking up beside him, and falling into step; her jaw set and shoulders squared.

He spun to look at her in shock and terror, Alicia merely raised her eye brows and grabbed him by the shoulder; turning back to the gate. "Do you know the penalty for leaving the colony without permission?"

He was silent, she knew he did as after the occupation and the spy hunt Nathaniel had tightened it up and announced it to the colony. She knew that nearly all had agreed with it as they had seen no reason to ever leave the colony without permission and had the devastation of what happened when enemies came to sway them. Going outside the gates without permission was punishable by confinement to the brig. There had actually been some in favor of banishment for anyone caught beyond the gates.

Alicia hauled him back to the gate, Nathaniel had raised it and was waiting just inside. She sent him a glare and he inclined his head ever so slightly; she would deal with Malcolm. The man finally found his voice. "You need me to work, I can't sit in the brig all day."

She didn't respond to that, shoving him in front of her and taking the stairs quickly; and shutting him on the proper side of the door. Alicia keyed in the code and left. Nathaniel leaned against the door frame at the top of the stairs.

"He getting under your skin now too?" He looked entirely too smug, he knew her silence was more dangerous than any insults she could hurl at Malcolm Wallace.

"He is going to learn the lesson." She muttered, already working out how she would get it through his thick skull.

"He isn't going anywhere tonight. Let's go home." His arm slid around her shoulders and tugging her alone; Alicia moved with him still considering the issue.

Nathaniel took her home and succeeded in distracting her, much later Alicia was curled against his chest. Things were never going to slow down, life wasn't going to get simpler; but this was. They just had to keep it that way.

Morning came quickly and Alicia left Nathaniel to handle the morning briefings while she handed out duty posts for the day; she had no desire to sit through the meetings. She had several things to take care of before going about her day; namely Malcolm Wallace.

Leaving one soldier out of rotation she waited as the others dispersed, the motioned for the woman to follow her. Reilly fell in as they headed around the Command Center. "Malcolm Wallace's access to the colony has been restricted as he was found OTG without cause last night. As he can contribute to the colony and a decision has yet to be made he will continue his work under guard."

"Ma'am I don't think he is a threat, but if he could be is it wise to allow him to continue his work?" Reilly asked, Alicia knew the woman wasn't thrilled with the task and didn't blame her. But they both knew Malcolm.

"He's a pest not a threat, but his stunts could make him a liability if he lands himself in the wrong hands. And he is clueless to that. In his world science is first, in this world and this colony life doesn't work that way. We've known he is difficult since he got here, now we don't have the time to indulge his science theory of the world."

"Yes Ma'am." Privately Alicia was thankful that the woman was always professional, in truth she had picked her for this job because she was a friend and not easily conned; Alicia could count on her. The woman was going to have a miserable time with Malcolm Wallace.

"Each morning you will take him from the brig and return him after the day is done. He does not go to the market, he does not go OTG unless you consider it necessary for his work. If you are called away on another assignment he goes back to the brig and remains there until someone is available to escort him again. The Commander will review his case in a week's time."

Reilly nodded and headed down the steps to collect her charge, Alicia found a spot to lean again the wall and watch Malcolm be escorted up, her gaze cold. The man could not continue to pull his stunts, maybe this would teach him what life would be like if he continued; at least it would keep him safe.

Alicia turned and headed to the gate, they had been given a taste of the other settlement's culture yesterday, the men went to Nathaniel and the women had drawn her aside. There was a lot they needed to learn, but first they had to build some trust. She passed work crews heading out for the day and watched as they all headed away from the camp built on the river bank; casting long looks at the collection of tents and huts that had gone up overnight.

Alicia strode towards it, pausing near the edge of the camp, she had a feeling these people rarely camped in such an open area. But the clear view had allowed them to watch her approach and several of the woman who she had met yesterday came towards her.

The mother of the leader was called Storme, and Alicia followed her through the huts to the river bank where all of the woman were gathered. It felt like stepping back in history as she joined the women on the bank, some were doing laundry and down stream others were scrapping and stretching hides on a frame. Storme led her to the group around the frame and paused, tying long grey hair up with a piece of cord.

Alicia had seen it done before, they did a bit of work with hides in the colony but never like this. She was guided to a frame that had clearly been in progress awhile, it was being detached and turned. When she touched it the side that had been set in the sun was soft and almost smooth. That side was turned down and between three of them it was pulled tightly over the frame and fastened with clamps that did not push through the hide but held it snug.

She was nudged back then as the women worked and conversation picked up; it was all she could do to track that. Tapping her comm and engaging the translator Maddie had installed. However watching them was interesting, they used a rock to scrape the scales and rough hide, rubbing a cloth over it occasionally to remove the pieces they loosened.

Slowly Alicia learned a little of their history. Storme Etna was the oldest person living in their settlement, her great grandparents had come through what she knew was the portal; they referred to it as the attack. Storme's great grandfather had been the captain of the Royale Merchant. In the year of 1849 the ship had been attacked during a trade run from the Americas back to England. They had come through the explosion into a desert with their enemies.

The old woman told the stories with an ease that showed she had told them many times over. A group of children that had joined them listened with rapt attention. Alicia made mental notes, if she could piece together a timeline from the tales maybe they could get some idea of how the Phoenix had found them.

By her math Storme was born in 2054, the woman told the story without pausing in her work. She had been a child when the group made their way to the mountains to get away from a group who had come through with them; there had been pirates on the decks when the ship passed through the portal.

At first they had lived in the sparse lands just before the badlands. Wanting to remain near the place that brought them here so that if a day came they could leave the opportunity would not be missed. But that day had never come and as years passed the idea was forgotten. Tensions rose and the two people groups forced to survive together and eventually they split away. The descendants of the ships crew headed inland to find a place to live.

Choosing a place to live where they could use the river to their advantage, and over time learned that there were few predators high in the mountains. They moved twice a year, at the beginning of the hot season they moved down to the area where she had encountered them to live in the shelter of the jungle. Spending the wet season higher up the mountain where they had settled when they made the journey to this region.

Alicia listened quietly, a toddler was deposited in her lap and she held the child gently. The baby didn't seem phased by being passed to a complete stranger but she knew her body armour was not like the soft hides the other women wore which he could cuddle into to sleep.

Her comm crackled and Alicia switched channels. Nathaniel knew where she was, he might want her to listen in on something but they had discussed using technology around the new camp; they wanted to make inroads. The signal meant she needed to listen in.

'Sixers are on the gate, Mira's brought a party up; we've got red reads in the trees.' Reynolds reported, she had posted him on the main gate this morning.

'Raise the gate. I'll come out.' She heard Nathaniel reply, then heard a double tap in her earpiece, reaching up she flipped it up to scan for an open channel. He opened a private channel and her comm clicked on. 'She's nervous Alicia, keep an eye out on your side.'

She clicked it again to let him know she copied his message and took a moment to survey her surroundings. The main threat would come before the banks but she could see clearly up to the colony. She looked up to where the river turned a bend, heading away from their lands and up into the mountains.

Thick foliage grew on the banks, it was the only area someone could take cover and still have an avenue to attack. Watching carefully her eye caught the flash, light reflecting off metal. Someone was watching.

….

It had taken some time to soothe the Sixers' nerves and explain what he knew. Nathaniel understood Mira's fears, and the doubts she held onto even after the introductions had been made. Mira was on edge, wary of these new people and of the colony's relationship with them. And on that she should be, the Sixers were still establishing their alliance with the colony and the past was not forgotten.

But he wasn't thinking to burn any bridges, for this world to be different than the last they did not need to be making enemies now; one was already enough. And he figured there was plenty that both settlements could learn from each other. However he noted that Mira had again asked if Alicia could speak with her, she had asked that in the jungle months before as well. He hadn't seen his wife since she left for the camp early that morning and was interested in her report.

Even though she was just beyond the gates he was not going to interrupt her, Alicia had inroads with that camp and he had a feeling he made them nervous. He'd had to tell her he would be home late over the radio; he would wait to tell her of Mira's inquiry face to face. Evenings were their time together and Fridays signaled a little extra as there were no early briefings or dispatches the next morning. They could spend Saturday together as they had fewer duties to handle, right now they needed that time; there was still something off between them but he couldn't name what it was.

By the time he handled the outpost report and got home it was nearly midnight, he found his wife in bed and Boxer in his spot. Nathaniel removed the dinosaur and settled in beside her, in sleep she turned into him.

"Hi." He had been wrong, she wasn't asleep; or at least not as sound as he had thought.

"I didn't mean to wake you." He trailed his fingers lightly over her cheek, brown eyes were bleary.

"I need to talk to you. I meant to wait up." She was propped up on an elbow now. "Elisabeth caught me on my way home. She and Malcolm have a drug ready to trial, an immune booster, she didn't get into details; we need to see her tomorrow."

He nodded, shifting his hand to rub her back; his wife was the guinea pig. It was a comfort to know Elisabeth Shannon was a friend, but it still worried him. However Alicia was willing to do this and the colony needed a way to fight back as their supply of modern medicine dried up. But at what cost?

Now he held her close, reassuring himself with the feel of her, in the morning they would deal with what ever the doctor had come up with. It was only a few hours before the early light of dawn woke them both.

She dealt with shift change as he reviewed work plans from the day and the security details assigned to each. It was mid morning before they met up at the infirmary. The open ward was full, Alicia was sitting on the edge of a bed talking to a little girl who was half in her lap.

He stood and watched for a moment while she was unaware of him, she was distracting the little girl as the doctor lanced an infected insect bite; his wife knew something of what the child was going through. Alicia kept the child's attention on her, he saw the child flinch and a strong hand turned the child's cheek into her chest.

It was a few minutes before she was able to slip away, but he enjoyed the time watching her instinctively comforting a child and caught her eye. They wanted that, the good moments and the hard ones of parenting. It was important, and something they had to keep separate from the duty of the colony; it was going to be on his mind as they went into this.

He rested a hand against the small of her back when she fell in beside him, Elisabeth Shannon beckoned them through to the back. Malcolm started to follow them into an exam room, Nathaniel turned back to stop him. "This is an exam room."

"I assisted in designing the treatment plan. I need to observe to refine it." Malcolm looked entirely disgusted at being questioned.

"No." He shut the door with the scientist outside of it, he didn't know what Dr Shannon intended to do with his wife but he wasn't going to have her watched like a lab rat.

And if he needed any reassurance that he was right Alicia was already out of her cargos and boots as Dr Shannon told her to remove any clothes containing metal. Her body armour joined the pants on a chair and she slipped onto the exam bed.

The doctor rucked Alicia's tank up and began placing small tabs across her torso, as she began to explain what they were doing. "I need about an hour today, I will give you the highest dose and monitor vitals; as long as you hold steady you can continue at home. If you are going to have an adverse reaction it will happen quickly."

Alicia just nodded, he knew the doctor wasn't done but he had thought repairs had been finished in the infirmary. "Is the bio-bed inactive?"

"Yes, the core fused. It has happened to several of our beds, it's the age of the equipment, and there isn't anything to be done about it unless we find a way to source promethium. We have phased the active cores out of service to save them for surgery, most of the beds on the floor are inactive." Elisabeth explained deftly as she wrapped a cuff around Alicia's arm.

"It was projected, I thought we had a bit more time." He knew they had both read the report.

"We've reduced the general use to save them for surgery, we have modified one and hard wired it to the solar panels." And the science division was on it, but the reality was it would take time. "Now for Alicia the treatment will have to run for several months to have full effect and prepare her system for us. It will be an injection, she can handle that at home."

He listened as Alicia asked what the dose and frequency would be, how much they would give her to take home as the doctor administered the injection. Dr Shannon gestured to a kit sitting by the sink, they were giving it to her all in one shot; he hesitated. Alicia could look after herself but it didn't sound like the doctor intended to do much follow up for almost three months. But Alicia asked the question he had been trying to sort out, the side effects of high doses were nasty. By keeping the dose low and introducing it to her system gradually the doctor hoped to avoid shocking her system.

"What are the side effects I need to watch for?" Alicia asked, he saw her squirm a little it and it annoyed him that he couldn't touch her.

"If you have any chest pain, dizziness or disorientation I want you to get in here immediately. Those are indicators of toxicity. But you are probably going to have muscle cramps, headaches and nausea." Elisabeth spoke but kept her eyes trained on the machine tracking Alicia's vitals.

"And if she conceives?" If there was any risk to her or the baby they were going back to using a birth control.

"Another reason we want to use a low dose, the drug boosts the immune system which would be good for her and the baby." The doctor explained, taking a moment to look at each of them. "I know what you want, we would be having a different conversation if I didn't know this would be safe for you."

…

Her husband was nervous, and she knew he wasn't going to admit it. He didn't like that she was doing this but he wasn't going to ask her not to because the colony needed it. She gave herself the quick shot she took twice a week now and continued getting ready for work.

He had paused to watch and she knew she couldn't let him see that her body when started aching in the next couple hours. It was her third week on the drug, she was getting used to what it did to her, and she was fairly sure she could figure out if it was starting to send her over.

She pulled on her armor, letting him fix the straps as they began to plan the day. "Are you taking the science team or am I?"

"Shannon wanted me to meet with the construction crew today. Time I'm done it will be too late to go and we'll be tripping over Malcolm until we do it." Nathaniel shook his head, dealing with the scientists was a headache; Malcolm submitted requests with incredible speed.

"I'll take Reynolds and Reilly, get out to the ravine and back as quick as possible. It's going to be most of the day either way." She strapped on her weapon harness and slipped the pistol into place on her thigh. "What were they looking for again?"

"Some kind of fern." He shrugged, and she knew he had skimmed the request too; she had read so many lately it was hard to keep them straight. Malcolm was flooding them with paperwork as he had been confined to the colony after trying to sneak out.

They cut through the market on the way to the Command Center, it was quiet as only a few venders were up and getting ready for the day. Nathaniel split off to the stairs and she headed down to the gate to start the shift and grab the team she wanted to help babysit the scientists.

Reilly had been babysitting Malcolm and she deserved some fun, it was a miserable task but the soldier had never complained. It was good to have someone she knew she could count on. Nathaniel was busy managing colony business, Guzman was off colony more than he was on but the man seemed to enjoy it and as she dealt with the Seagoers and organized the security. Having a few soldiers that they knew they could count on helped.

She sent Reynolds to get a rover and he returned as the science team showed up; she knew it was going to be a long day. The cramps were starting but she wasn't about to let anyone with her know that. At least she knew one of the scientists going, Dean Combs was level headed and one of the better scientists to deal with; he wouldn't waste their time.

And within minutes they were loaded up and rolling through the gate. It was impressive to roll out with a finished section of stone wall on either side, the barrier was thick and strong; it had been a lot of work but it had been a good decision.

Conversation was easy as the scientists rode quietly in the back while she and Reilly needled Reynolds about his upcoming wedding. Once they left the track things slowed down considerably and it took almost two hours longer than projected to get out to the ridge. She tried hard to ignore the way her stomach turned as they rolled over bumpy terrain.

As the scientists searched for the plants they wanted the soldiers fanned out around them, keeping watch for predators. Reilly eased up next to her. "Are you alright Wash?"

"I'm good." She was not about to let Reilly know she wasn't feeling great.

"How late do you think we're going to be?" The woman asked, as they continued to follow the scientists who had yet to dig up any of the plants they were looking at.

"Late, are you on rotation for tonight?" She wasn't sure who was on the gate for the midnight shift but it was one Reilly worked a lot.

"Nope. I actually have a date. But he might have to wait for me." The soldier grinned a little and Alicia wondered how serious that was. "It's drinks at Boylan's and he will stay open till dawn if people are buying."

"True enough." But she didn't want to be out here that long.

It was another hour before the scientists found the samples they wanted. By her math they were going to be at least four hours late and she reported that at check in. And the sun had set when they rolled through the gates, she smirked when she noticed Maddie Shannon lurking in the shadows; there was more than one date tonight.

Releasing both soldiers she took the rover around to the bay herself before walking home. Lights were on, and she realized she was really happy to be home for the night. She and Nathaniel very rarely went out on dates, they hadn't even before they were married but she liked what they had.

He was reading reports when she stepped in but it melted her heart a little as he rose to unfasten her armour. "Everything go alright?"

"Yeah, the route was just rougher than we anticipated. Scientists took a number of plants, they should be happy for awhile." She shook her head as she pulled the tie out of her hair and rubbed her head; feeling his hands working the straps on her weapon harness.

"Did you pick up any meat on the way home?" She changed into one of his shirts and didn't bother with pants; they weren't going anywhere tonight.

"No, when I was walking the patrol this evening Terrell gave me a fish. Storme sent it for us. I haven't filleted it yet; I haven't seen a fish like it before." He smirked at her before opening the cold box and pulling out a large fish.

"That's really nice of them." She was touched, she liked the group of women who lived between the fence and the barrier wall but sometimes it shocked her at how considerate they could be. "It is different, it's good."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Nathaniel woke quickly, sleep fading as he sat up, and slid a hand across her spot; it was still warm. The bathroom door was closed, he opened it slowly. Alicia leaned against the counter, her tank rucked up her sides in one hand she held the mini scanner from her med kit.

Nathaniel felt the first pang of fear as he noticed her hand was shaking. Alicia was rock solid, he'd seen her work calm and steady in the worst of circumstances but the machine beeped and flashed red; unable to get a read. As she hit the button again he stepped close, covering her hand with his.

The little machine began to whir busily as they waited in silence. Suddenly Alicia jerked away from him, and it took half a second to register as she wretched; privately he thought the machine had to be useless. If she was far enough along for this then the thing should be giving them a read.

He gathered her long hair at the base of her neck, holding it out of her face her and rubbed his other hand over her back; feeling rather useless. Her body shook in several more dry heaves before she started to stand, when she did he pulled her away and settled her on the edge of the tub; soaking a cloth in cold water and offering it to her.

They didn't speak as he picked up the scanner, reset it again and held it near her. It took several minutes to beep again, coming up with a screen full of abbreviations and numbers that meant nothing to him; he offered it to her. He didn't care what it said, if it didn't get a read he figured it was busted.

He watched her read, her brow knit slightly and he decided to roll the dice. "How far?"

"It's not a clear read, I know I am about two weeks late but that doesn't mean much."

"Should you get a clear read if you are two weeks along?" He was not going to think about everything that had happened in the past few weeks; neither of them had known and nothing could be done about it now. "Could it be those meds?"

"If I go by the instructions then yes but we both know how reliable those were and this is my first time using it to try find a pregnancy. I don't know about the meds." Her voice was tight, her cheeks still pale and he knew she was frustrated, he understood that. "I'll go talk to Elisabeth, don't get on my back."

He swallowed hard. "No."

She started to say something but he pulled her up, tugging her towards their bed. "Alicia I am your husband not your jailer. I don't want to get on your back, I don't mean to."

Stretched out beside her he slid a hand down to her belly, they weren't going to start this now. He knew no matter if or when Alicia had their child he would war with himself between loving and wanting to smother her. But this was supposed to be a good time, the last period when they were just two in this family; and an experience neither of them had before.

He had spent most of Ayani's pregnancy overseas, and the brief periods he had been home she had been hesitant to let him get involved and he understood that. She was a military wife, never truly sure if it would be her husband on the door or officers with faces set in grim silence. Somewhere he had always known she was preparing for life after him, always leaving that little bit of distance so it might not be so hard. He had accepted that but never prepared for life after her, and never could have imagined he would have this with Alicia.

As they tried for a child he had struggled with what he felt for her; what he had missed before. The excitement and love he felt for the woman in his arms now, the woman who lived as he did and took the risks he did. And it had taken time to understand he was still alive, given another chance and it did no harm to the memory of his first wife to enjoy this; that relationship and life were gone.

Alicia nuzzled into his shoulder, one hand slid around to rub her back. "We are in no rush, we are in a good place; the colony is safe. We can figure this out together, it doesn't matter if results take a few more days. The only thing I don't want you to do is spar, I won't shut you down on anything but that."

She was silent, curled into him and eyes closed, Nathaniel didn't have much doubt after this morning but for a time he wanted this to be theirs. Alicia would need a doctor's care before too long, but for now it was their joy; their baby.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

No one but Nathaniel knew and that didn't bother her. She had never seen him so enthralled with an idea and when the mini scanner spat out a reading this morning she was excited to tell him. Alicia had never imagined she would feel so safe with this. Even though she felt rotten right now. She wasn't sure how she had gotten lucky enough to be hit with nausea already, but it passed by early morning. Her reading was clear, she didn't have a bug or cold. Her body was just going to adjust to the child forming within her and she was okay with that.

Setting the mini scanner back in its case she turned to the mirror for a moment, trying to imagine her body swelling with this little life. Alicia had no idea what it would be like but she felt a flutter of excitement at the thought. Even though this was something she had wanted, and they had tried for, believing it could be a reality took a little time.

Pulling on her body armour Alicia prepared to leave for the day, she would check in with Nathaniel before heading out this morning; she knew it was hard for him. She was going fishing with a group of women from the camp, it would be her first time in such a small craft without a threat of combat. It was also her first time fishing from a boat, an activity she had a feeling Nathaniel would enjoy more than she would.

She left the unit, whistling softly for Boxer to follow, the little acrotholus stayed at her side as she headed for the Command Center. Some thought she was crazy for having the little thing for a pet but the kids at the camp loved her; and Boxer seemed to love kids.

Reilly was rounding the compound with Malcolm in tow. The scientist was still on restriction as he had no remorse for his actions and heartily disagreed with how they were treating the residents of the camp. The only good thing was that Reilly seemed to be able to get some things through his head, including the reminder that the people they were trying to build a relationship with were human beings; not research experiments.

She nodded to the soldier, she knew the woman was getting tired of this duty, it had been several weeks week. But it had been a peaceful in the science division, which did nothing to encourage them to reassign Reilly. The woman motioned for her to stop, shooting Malcolm a glare.

Alicia added hers to it but paused. "Elisabeth and I were thinking we would go to Boylan's for a drink tonight, relax for a night. Care to join us?"

She hadn't realized Reilly and Elisabeth were becoming so close and wondered how much the doctor was hanging around the science division. She couldn't drink but she wouldn't feel good about blowing off the invitation, both women were trying to be her friends. "Sure."

She took the steps up to the Command Center, trying not to laugh at Boxer doing her best to keep up but struggling with the movement that was required to climb the steep stairs. She left the dinosaur at the door with Skye who was on watch today.

Nathaniel was settled at his desk but he caught her eye as she walked in. He eased back in his chair and she rounded the desk to stand in front of him, their conversation would be quiet to be kept from any other ears.

"Results?" He murmured, his hands already sliding to her hips.

Alicia nodded, unable to hide her smile. Blue eyes danced with pleasure and mischief, he was a man and she knew there was a certain amount of pride involved for him but she also knew that a part of him stayed locked down. It was that part she knew he was fighting with hard, the protective alpha male her husband entirely was, who could drive her crazy. She admired the fact he was pushing it back and making an effort not to smother her from the second he knew. Even now one of his hands had slid under her armour, it was warm against her skin.

"That's good." His words hardly more than a breath, she didn't know what he felt right now but she hoped he wasn't thinking too much of the past.

She hoped if they were to have a son he would not dwell on the past and what could not be changed; she knew she would never fully convince him that he was not to blame for what Lucas had become. Yet he would be an amazing father to a little boy who would undoubtedly be wild and fearless just like him, Nathaniel would enjoy taking him on all sorts of adventures and teaching him a code to live by.

"Can we keep this as ours a little longer?" Somehow she liked the secret, they had so few things that were theirs, not tied to their duties to the colony or the military. She would not raise their child as a priority or duty.

"I want to." He smiled, his hands moved from holding her to checking the fastenings on her armour, sliding his fingers between them and her skin to ensure the fit. "Please be careful today."

"Always." She ducked to kiss his cheek, she would do nothing to jeopardize this. He'd had an opportunity to start a fight but didn't; she had to remember that. "I will be late tonight, Reilly and Elisabeth want to have a drink at Boylan's, I won't drink but I think I should go."

"Yes, you should. I will try and get ahead on some of the paperwork and see you at home. I need to change up some rosters, I want to keep Reilly out of rotation for a bit; Malcom is actually accomplishing some things."

Alicia smirked and headed out, at least things with Malcolm were moving along. Soon they would begin construction on a reliable source of energy, and she knew that would put her husband in a good frame of mind. That and with what she was learning from their new neighbors would help not only with self reliance but with avenues to learn skills they hadn't planned to need. Without a connection to the future everything had to be sourced from this world; it was a steep learning curve.

Even the concept of travelling via the rivers was new to them, but very effective as Storme and Acadia, a close friend of the woman who seemed to have taken her in, had shown her. They could travel farther in a day moving with the currents of the rivers then bushwhacking in a transport. Fishing was going to be her first experience with that.

Alicia walked to the banks, being ditched by her pet for the throng of children playing near one of the shelters; Boxer loved kids. And in this area she knew the little dino would be safe, she would never take her into the jungle for fear that some predator would decide the little one would make a good snack.

Three canoes waited by the shore, there were six of them going to fish up past the rapids. Alicia knew that the hunters had gone up that way the day before and would be in the area so the women felt safe to go; she still carried her weapons. Though she knew that each person here had their own methods of protection.

With little instruction they set the small crafts to water, Alicia lurched a little bit before finding a comfortable position in the bottom of the canoe. Storme was in hers and Alicia had been told not to paddle, she was alright with that as for the moment she was trying to settle her stomach. It took some getting used to, being so close to the water and at its mercy. They moved quickly, hardly having to paddle as the currents tugged them along.

"The child beneath your heart is feisty so soon." Storme commented, how the woman knew was beyond her and the observation a little chilling.

"How can you tell?" She asked, over the past few weeks she had gotten to know the older woman, listened to her stories and watched carefully as the rest of the group relaxed around her. She wanted an answer to this.

"It is only to look between your eyes and those of your husband. Tis what you've wanted, so you have been given. Does not mean the child will come easy, a life borne of two with such strong spirits and wills shall not be easy to bear. It is already telling you such aye?" Sometimes the woman's spoke surprisingly well, Alicia wasn't sure how she knew when to.

"I am only a few weeks along." She murmured in hardly a whisper, she would keep it a secret from the colony, and from anyone else who asked; but she also needed this woman to do the same. "Nathaniel and I want to keep it quiet for now."

"Tis a gift for man and wife to share, none will hear of it by me." The old woman smiled, and Alicia looked around realized they were alone, the other canoes had pulled well ahead and were rounding the bend. "Know that your first shall make you labor the longest; but when you hold the little one you will forget the pain."

Alicia stared at her blankly, there was very little pain involved in child birth anymore; it was a short bio-sonic procedure. But this woman would not know that, sonic surgery had only been in the future for the last fifty years; for centuries woman had delivered babies without the help of doctors. And had probably never dreamed of the formula that had once been a choice but with the pollution in the food most consumed had become a staple for feeding children under the age of two, a mother's milk could be too dangerous and many never even began to produce; Alicia knew very little about it.

It was something she would have to start to think about, but now was not the time. They rounded the bend and were on the rapids, Alicia gripped the sides of the boat as Storme began to use her oar as a rudder, guiding them into the center of the churning currents and between the rocks. It was a long stretch but as they passed through she learned how the boat moved and began to relax; her stomach wouldn't.

After a few moments they passed through onto the other side and into a small lake that formed where several rivers merged. The woman dropped lines into the water, tying them off to loops on the sides of the vessel. Telling her about the different rivers that ran from this lake, some these people had explored and often used; others were too difficult to pass and had damaged their boats in the past. One man had been killed when they tried the river that ran off the north side of this lake; the undertow was strong.

When Storme pulled up the first line with nasty looking fish clamped onto the line Alicia feared the woman was going to be slashed by the thing's fangs as it flailed. Sliding the combat knife from her hip she stopped its struggles. The creature stilled and Storme freed the hook from its cheek.

There was a bowl of sorts by Storme's feet and hide lined with reeds the woman had picked as they passed through some narrow parts on the way here. Using her knife as Nathaniel had shown her in their first year here she gutted the fish, catching a nod of approval from the older woman, dumped the guts into the bowl and laid the meat on hide.

They settled into an easy rhythm of pulling the fish up and cleaning them, allowing the current to carry the canoe along. For a time they worked in silence, she heard some conversations of the women as they drew close together, using paddles to maintain enough space between them but she didn't understand their words.

The river drew them farther around another bend and the crafts spread out again. Suddenly Storme shifted her paddle and turned them towards shore. Surprised Alicia shifted a hand to the holster on her hip; something had been killed here recently. They didn't land, Storme simply stared a moment and turned the canoe back into the currents. "Our hunters were here."

And had cleaned a catch, that would explain the blood, but Alicia would still be happy to be away from it soon, just as she was sure the hunters had left soon after finishing as the blood would attract other predators. Storme was very comfortable out here, in fact all the women were, considering they carried almost no weapons. In the past week Alicia had seen some of their weapons and while primitive they were effective; the women had brought none with them.

And if her bearings were correct they were headed up towards the valley where she had first encountered one of their young women; and the mercenaries. She was fairly certain the Phoenix had not returned, any who survived had lit out before she had arrived and any who doubled back would have seen the grave her soldier's dug. The fact they were still here bothered her, perhaps it was her husband rubbing off but they had not come to live, they had come to fight and had proven that time and time again.

She was as set against beginning this civilization in the way of the one they left as her husband, but wondered if they were doing any good by letting such a threat continue to breathe? A day would come when none of the military would remember wars the veterans that founded Terra Nova fought, in the way that she and Nathaniel did; the way Phoenix fought. But if nothing was done would those tactics be brought back? Or someday would they end up like Storme and her clan, secretly watching more explorers come to settle this place?

Alicia didn't have the answers, but she knew that alliances with the Sixers and these people were crucial should war come. The colony had the arms, but Sixers had an understanding of how the Phoenix thought and the Seafarers knew these lands and a different way of living. It worried her in the same way it had a year ago, in the way it always would; no one really knew if man kind was capable of putting war and greed behind them. And sometimes it seemed as though someone needed to prove that it wasn't.

They followed the river up to a spot where it forked, and took a turn that would carry them back down towards the colony. These women clearly knew where the water ways would take them. With the bottom of the canoes full of fish the lines were pulled up and they finished fishing.

Alicia caught Storme studying her for a long moment, she frowned. It was this woman who had brought her into the other camp, included her in their activities but today she seemed hesitant to speak of something. They had been out on the water nearly five hours, and she had caught the look a few times now.

She did not get an answer until they were back at the camp, Alicia carried the hide up to Storme's tent. The woman held the flap and Alicia ducked under, setting the load of fish on the table, turning to find the woman in her path. "You and you husband, you do not do things the way we do. You look in the eyes; equals."

"Yes." Or at least they tried to, Alicia was taken off guard by the question; this woman seemed to have a knack for digging into her personal life. Sometimes they had a challenge in the fact they had been CO and Lieutenant so long but in time it was becoming equal ground.

"My son, Terrell wishes to stay here. It will take several seasons to teach our young men to hunt." The woman told her, Alicia knew that many of their hunters had been killed by the Phoenix during the early stages of the failed raid. She had confirmed that earlier, they had needed to decide whether or not to launch a raid of their own; but none had been kidnapped successfully and any mercenaries found that day had died so the colony did not sent a team. "Would your husband allow such?"

"Yes, you are welcome to stay here as long as you like." She did not need to refer to Nathaniel about that, and she knew that should it come down to it he would make good on her word; their marriage was different but it worked for them.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

She was starting to show, their child was growing within her and Nathaniel knew before long it would not be something they could hide. In fact he was looking forward to being open about it. But Alicia wasn't ready for that.

He knew she was excited, more often than not he caught her little moments of distraction when her hand trailed down over her belly, she paused at the mirror in the morning and turned to the side; or his favorite the way she looked longingly at some of the baby things in the market but was unwilling to go over and check them out. Nathaniel didn't care, he'd drag Shannon along with him and torture the man while silently evaluating what he needed to buy. Shannon's daughter was to wed soon and the man was not looking forward to grand children just yet.

He had already decided to have a swing made for their patch of yard and a rocker for the spare bedroom. He could remember when he was preparing for Lucas' birth his own mother showed up to inspect the nursery and declared every new parent needed a rocker to soothe the baby. Ayani had protested and he had shipped out, when he was next home there had been this tiny bundle of life that he couldn't stop staring at. He'd spent hours pacing the floor with his son, sometimes studying him in awe and others trying to soothe him; a rocker would have done wonders.

Nathaniel climbed the stairs to his office, he had left his wife in bed this morning; ordering her to stay there until the nausea passed. She hadn't caught a break and had been sick nearly since the day they learned they were expecting. She didn't complain about it but would snarl when he suggest she go to Elisabeth. Her stance on that confused him just a little, the women were close and the pregnancy was not unexpected; he could only remind himself it was her body going through the changes and it would be her secret as long as she needed.

Yet many of the women in the Seagoing camp seemed to know, they had unofficially made Alicia the contact for that group as they had trusted her easily. And he suspected it was on that trust they tried to be kind to the guards that ran patrol; it was evident that their equipment and weapons were intimidating to the people. None had set foot inside the colony, he either had Alicia address them or went out to the camp himself whenever it was necessary to meet with them.

His wife had given her permission for them to build a permanent settlement along the river, inside the low outer wall that the colony was constructing. And when he had gone out and agreed, speaking to the men about it they began to see the preparations being made, logs piled up in various places, stones piled high and tents moving about almost daily. More than one of his craftsmen climbed up to the towers almost every day to watch the methods they used and the supplies they gathered.

A few had ventured out to navigate a conversation about their plans and how they intended to build the village. The section of stone wall from the river's bank around to the main gate had been finished, the work crew was rounding the other side of the colony towards the agricultural gate now and would continue until they reached the river bank again. As he saw it take shape he was sure it was a good defensive move. Now they could work their fields, and protect their crops without predators lurking or the risk of an attack. There were only two ways in and out of the outer wall, a third was secret with only a handful of people aware of it and it would only be used if their defenses were going to fall. Those access points could be monitored at all times, the threat of someone slipping through the slats of the fence had been greatly reduced.

He felt that the colony was in a good place, after all they had come through in the last two years, from suspecting something sinister was coming to an open attack and nearly losing everything until now. They had good allies in the Seafarers and more cautious ones with the Sixers, he had been in the military long enough to accept the threat living on their horizon for what it was. They would have more skirmishes there but the threat of an outright war dropped with passing time.

One anniversary that had come and gone had been important to the Sixers and yet another eased closer; it was one he hesitated to face. Everything around him had shifted, and a part of that was because of Lucas' death; a threat neutralized. It hurt him to remember that this world was better without his son. It was an anniversary the colony would ignore and it shamed him to think it was one that he wanted to ignore as well.

The harm that had been done and the threat introduced through his son's action could not be erased. It was only the past that made him fear for the child he and Alicia were bringing into this world. Yes Lucas had been influenced by his experiences but what of his DNA; DNA Nathaniel was passing forward again?

The memory of his son was difficult, tomorrow if he went out to memorial fields Alicia would want to come with him and somehow that was worse. His wife's body had been scarred and nearly broken by his son and though he would always find her beautiful sometimes he saw the scars and felt sickness roll inside him. Alicia should not mourn the man who would have murdered her, he hardly wanted to and yet couldn't quite let go; maybe next year he could.

But the thought of Alicia making that walk with him was enough for him to decide. He would walk out today, he would face the memories now and then he would go home to his wife and when this time came next year he would spend it with their little family and he would begin to forget.

He left the Command Center and headed for the gates, he would face this now before he spent his entire day on it. There was always a great deal to do in the colony and today was no different. Informing the tower of his intentions he walked out through the gates and past the outer wall that had been newly constructed. The longer he walked the more he was glad he was alone.

….

Alicia spent the first few hours of her mornings at home, hiding the nausea she couldn't seem to escape. But the time proved useful, she drafted patrol and outpost rotations, inventoried the supply records and filled out necessary paperwork for the unit of soldiers she oversaw. She had turned running drills and physical training over to the newly promoted Sargent Reynolds as her time was largely spent forging relationships with their new neighbors.

Somehow Alicia was almost more comfortable in that camp then within the colony on many days. With the changes to their lifestyle becoming more evident and the passing time adding a permanence to it things were becoming more difficult for her. Being pregnant in the colony was to be treated like a breakable doll, women didn't work to hard or exert too much energy after becoming pregnant. Every little illness or injury was a cause for great concern and no matter the weather it was not good to be carrying a child.

Alicia could not live like that, it would make the coming months feel like years and the excitement of this become misery. She wanted a baby but she would not give up her own way of life unless she had tangible proof that it would harm her child. As far as she could see the women who took pregnancy as a cause to be come hypochondriacs suffered more than necessary and while well meaning medical professionals only encouraged the idea.

Elisabeth was a good friend but if she had her way the doctor would also be the last to know, she knew enough about medicine to manage and Storme offered frequent advice. Pregnancy, along with many other things were viewed differently in the Seagoing camp. There her news could be spread far and wide but none tried to stop her from working with the women. The people there saw that it took strength to bear a child, and none of them treated her any differently than before they knew.

The first hours of her morning were spent with paperwork, this morning it was requisitions, and once her stomach seemed to settle she had a little food and left for the day. Shutting Boxer in yard Nathaniel had fenced in to hold her pet Alicia headed for the gate. She had yet to convince any member of that camp to set foot inside the colony, she knew the differences between their ways of life still made many of the people wary.

She was hardly out of the colony when Shannon's voice crackled on the radio, wanting to know when the next shipment of rock was coming. The Sixers were keeping them supplied but laying the slabs of rock was much faster than quarrying them; even with a team from the colony for support. But that was Shannon's domain no matter how much he tried to get out of dealing with the work crews it was something he was good at; and there wasn't a lot of crime around lately.

Alicia arrived as a row of canoes on shore were being loaded, the village buzzed with activity. She wandered through, nodding to people she knew, and recognized the group of hunters who had only returned a few days ago. Heading towards the newly build smokehouse she found Storme, the woman worked with a few others preparing the field dressed carcasses for smoking.

"They are heading up to our old settlement to bring down the harvest. Next year we will plant on the other side of the river." The tribe matriarch explained as they watched all of the young people push away from the shore in the wide deep canoes.

"What about building homes?" Alicia asked, harvest for the colony was done three times a year and took nearly a month each time, not to mention the fruits that grew nearly year round.

"The rains will ruin our harvest, our tents are good for now." The woman's English was improving rapidly. "Once the meat is up we will continue moving the stones."

These women worked hard, they had lived hard, raised children and worked to keep their families clothed and fed; she wondered if the colony recognized that was their future. The conveniences they had were temporary, and fading fast. But she remembered when they first came through, starting with nothing, it was fitting that they learned to make do with only what they had. It was just another mark of distance between them and their past.

Alicia worked with the women, first preparing the meat for smoking and then in hauling stones from the piles and stacking them together as one woman smeared clay into the cracks. Stone by stone the foundation of the huts were rising from the earth. The stone base rose about five feet from the earth, nearly a dozen of the foundations had already been finished. On top of this a wooden structure would be built creating a loft, the upper level being a sleeping area and the lower for living. Structures far more permanent than any they'd had.

As they worked the cloudy sky darkened and Alicia looked up at the overcast cover as the first fat rain drops fell. Work was over as the drops started to come down steadily, Alicia began to turn towards the gates as the women hurried to the tents. Within moments the storm broke and wind roared, she slipped into the colony. Alicia climbed to the guard tower and looked out in time to see the wind toss several tents into the stone wall.

Biting back a growl she turned and slid down the ladder, she understood their pride but most of the camp was on the water heading up for the harvest; but a handful of old women could not stay in that camp alone. Not in this weather. She tapped her com and called for a covered rover. When it rolled up she took over the wheel and rolled slowly out into the camp, rain pounded down and reducing visibility to nothing as the wind tried to buffet the rover aside and the wall was already sheltering them from the worst of it.

Sliding from the seat Alicia shifted her arm to try and block the icy water dousing her, pulling open the first collapsed shelter, and then another; looking for the women she had been working with only a few moments before. In a nearly collapsed tent she found the women, she pulled them towards the rover; aware that they hesitated because they feared the vehicle. But they didn't have an option, not until this storm blew through.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Alicia settled Storme, Acadia, Renee, and Janna in the living room, the women looking uncomfortable but warm and dry as she wrangled Boxer into a towel and dried the acrotholus off before mud was spread all over the unit. The little dinosaur tore over to meet their guests the moment Alicia let her go. She sighed and took out a plex before leaning against the counter and checking that the market had been shut down, work crews had made it to shelter and that the various security teams were doing head counts to confirm no stragglers were stranded.

She radioed Reilly to confirm the science division was all accounted for. Listening to the chatter in between, waiting to hear Nathaniel. As time passed and the colony shut down with the storm roaring she called Nathaniel over the main frequency and again on the private channel they often used. The silence was enough for her to leave the unit and go to the command center; it was empty and worry balled in her stomach. She wasn't sure of his plans for the day.

She cut through the chatter again, checking with various areas; Nathaniel wasn't in any of the main shelters and she wasn't betting he was in a private unit. Finally the south guard post radioed in; he had left the colony on foot several hours before the storm began. It was early afternoon and the weather was not breaking.

They had seen violent storms before, but never this early in the season. She wanted to lead the team dispatched to run up to memorial fields, it was the only destination she would guess he would have today. But she had to trust it to Shannon, and hope he was holed up somewhere waiting it out; and would be irritated with her for worrying over him. She worried over the members of Seagoing camp who were on the water in this, they had known this was coming as they had wanted their harvest but she hoped they had gotten to shelter.

Finally she resorted to pacing like a caged cat, there was nothing she could do and she wouldn't tie up a channel pestering her team; they knew their job. The wind let up a bit, but rain continued to come down in sheets and thunder rumbled in the distance. Word came through that their western power grid was down, looking out the window she saw branches down in the street.

It was early evening when the report finally came in; they'd found Nathaniel. The hours of silence had reassured her, making her hope that he had found somewhere to hide out the storm. That was not the case. As the rover raced for the infirmary she slipped out of the unit. The rover she had used was gone and she wasn't waiting to call for another; Alicia was soaked to the bone before the end of the block.

She saw the head lights of two rovers heading down a street two up; they were back. By the time she got to the infirmary they were empty, soldiers hovered just inside and none met her eyes. Alicia stepped through, surveying the open treatment area; he wasn't there. She moved down the hall towards the private rooms. Shannon stepped out of one and she veered to it.

"Wash, just wait. Liz is looking at him." Jim Shannon held up his hands as if to stop her, she sidestepped quickly and slipped through the door.

The room buzzed with activity, the doctor was examining a hologram of her husband; he lay too still on the bio bed. A nurse cleaned a nasty cut on his forehead, and another joined the doctor examining the hologram. She didn't wince when the nurse began to scrub out a wound, it was miserable but necessary the fact he didn't react bothered her more. He was out cold, and given he was soaked there was no way to guess how much blood he had lost; the rain would have washed it away.

Ignoring the others she reached out and put a hand around his wrist, his skin was cold to the touch and his pulse thready; Alicia worked to hide what she felt. She had married a man fifteen years older than her, she didn't care about age or what anyone thought about it. But right now she had to admit he looked older, it would be harder for him to heal; someday he wouldn't be able to bounce back as he had.

There were already many fine scars on his body showing the life he had lived but also the injuries and pain he had survived. Someday it would take its toll but that day couldn't come so soon. Nurse Ogawa took her arm, trying to guide her back; Alicia held her ground as they buzzed around her.

His hand moved ever so slightly and Alicia shifted from holding his wrist to sliding her hand into his; studying his face. No eye movement, Alicia swallowed hard, squeezing her hand around his, the wound on his head was cleaned and closed but the effect was still hanging on.

"You are soaked to the bone Wash. Get out of here and dry off. We've got plenty of nurses." One of the nurses tried to nudge her away again; Alicia glared as she was not the only one who had been in the rain. Sometimes it seemed as though nurses discounted her training because it was meant for the battlefield.

"Let her be." The head nurse passed, probably noting the look on her face.

….

It was an hour that dragged on forever, before the room cleared and Alicia was left alone with her husband. He was tough, and he was stubborn but right now he didn't look it. Sitting on the edge of the bed she listened to the machine tracking his vitals; he was stable at least.

Time stretched out as she waited for him to wake. Finally he shifted, a groan rumbling from his chest. Alicia slid his hand into hers as a machine began to beep rapidly; his face shifting in a wince.

"Just stay still." She murmured, wincing as he began to struggle up. She breathed a sigh of relief she would never admit to holding; thankful the man never wanted to stay down.

A moment later nurses and the doctor began to filter in and out, checking the screen and taking vitals. She knew it was everything Nathaniel had not to snarl at them, she kept a hand in his, tightening it when she saw him start. He balked as soon as Elisabeth mentioned staying the night, and Alicia knew it was a fight the doctor was doomed to loose. And when she did she tugged Alicia with her into the hall.

"I haven't seen you in weeks, last department meeting I think. How are you?" Elisabeth leaned against the wall.

"Things have been busy." She murmured, the space has been intentional; just as now she had her hands in her pocket. She wanted to keep the changes in her body to herself but she knew she was pushing it. "Is he alright?"

"He is just like you, I'll let you take him home but every couple hours make sure you check that he is alert and aware. Any dizziness, double vision or paresthesia and I want him back here. And he doesn't to need to spend time on his feet for the next couple days." The doctor instructed. "But I do need to see you in about two weeks if you are taking the injections regularly."

Alicia nodded and excused herself quickly, the longer she spent with the doctor the more likely the woman's sharp gaze would catch something about her. Nathaniel was in a foul mood by the time she helped him to the rover and then into the house. The women from the camp sat close together as she dragged her husband back to the bed room; he growled until she had him settled.

"You give me a hard time and I'll toss you back to Shannon and leave you in the infirmary." She warned as he started to snarl again. "Nathaniel don't."

"Anyone else get an exam while I was in there?" He asked, his hands reaching for her and resting on her sides.

"No. My scans are clear and right now we have other things to worry about." She slid one of his hands from her side into her own, the other had worked under her clothes to press to her skin over their child.

"I disagree. I do worry about my wife and our baby. Soon Alicia."

….

He spent a day at home, more to satisfy his wife than because he was concerned with the doctor's orders. Alicia had seen him come through far worse but he hadn't seen her look so worried in a long time. She would worry about their neighbors who had yet to return home but his tumble hadn't helped things. He hadn't told her why he had gone out to memorial fields, he hadn't needed to; just as she hadn't commented.

Alicia worked at her desk and even though it was just the two of them her armour was securely in place with extra plates across the chest to even out the difference their child made in her mid section. It was no longer the slight change he saw because he knew and enjoyed her body, it was clear now as the baby grew and by his math she was approaching the second trimester.

And the fact they didn't know the gender was odd, but Alicia was bound and bent to keep it private; and in a sense he understood. Everything they did was wrapped up in the colony, and open to comment, Alicia needed their family to be theirs and the freedom that gave her.

He was not about to tuck her up in the house for the next six months, nor did he have any desire to run the colony alone. But most, including Elisabeth whose opinion Alicia valued, would disagree with them. His wife was tough, and she was capable; she could work as long as she wanted. He'd asked her to stop sparring and she had, he'd asked her not to lead OTG expeditions and mostly she was staying within the colony; those were enough precaution for him.

In time he knew he was going to need to be more aware of how he handled her, making sure he did not push his desires on her when her body was already so strained; he was not looking forward to that aspect of those months.

Shannon strode in and crossed to his desk. "Mira's on the gate. You waiting on her?"

"Bring her up." He rose and flipped a board with several plans that the colony was working on, and glanced to Alicia. "You okay to stay?"

"Do I need to?"

"I'd prefer it." Guzman was bouncing on and off colony overseeing the outposts, Shannon had been on his way out to deal with an issue between a construction crew and the ever opinionated Malcolm Wallace.

Alicia nodded and rose to lean on the cabinet behind his desk.


	16. Chapter 16

_So I may have got carried away in some of this chapter, I hope it isn't to out of character. But it was fun to write._

 **Chapter Sixteen**

She didn't enjoy this arrangement but it was part of the job. She was happy to let her husband handle the business with the Sixers but she had nowhere else to be and had been working at her desk until Mira arrived. The Sixers wanted to trade for supplies, and their most valuable commodity was the quarry.

The ore was valuable but time consuming for the Sixers to mine, the colony needed their own supplies and she knew Nathaniel was not ready for a gesture of good faith. Mira was working it, Nathaniel was listening but she knew he was aware that the Sixers' eyes slid over his shoulder more often than they met his gaze. She didn't like it.

The colony had already set a policy on how they would deal with the outside settlements in regards to trade and support; the Sixers and the Phoenix had a few extra limits. What Mira hoped for wasn't likely to happen until things changed, she knew it, and the Sixer knew it too; trust took time to be rebuilt. "May I have a moment with your wife?"

Alicia felt her jaw tighten, saw her husband's shoulders shift. "That would be up to my wife."

Nathaniel eased back, she saw what most would miss; he remembered. Just like she did, this was the third time Mira had asked for a conversation with her, the first she'd ducked and the second she hadn't been available; she didn't have a handy excuse today.

She gave a slight nod and her husband stood. He wouldn't go far but he would let her handle her own business. "What can I do for you Mira?"

"I need to know if the history between us is in the past." The woman's shoulders shifted. "You know when I took this, it was just a job, a few months; it's been four years. It was never supposed to be like this."

"I took an oath, and when I took the order it was a life time; same warning everyone got before they walked through that portal." Alicia forced herself to keep her hands at her sides, she and Mira would have a hard time walking the same line.

"It was a job, Washington. It was a job and now I'm stuck with it, we all are." The woman surged forward and then pulled back. "Is a job worth what you went through?"

"I took an oath." Alicia repeated, keeping herself together; she didn't want to go back to those memories.

"I remember the first shock he put through you. I remember when the people I ended up leading cowered in a hole we had to dig. I left my daughter behind but some of them have kids. They don't know what we did to you, other than the Phoenix I think its just Carter and I…."

"And me. Why haven't we seen Carter since you've settled?" She cut in, trying to pull the woman onto another topic.

"He left, a group did. As soon as we left the brig. They chose to leave, we won't welcome them back; we want a fresh start. The ones who stayed have kids, they want to live in peace." Mira answered and there was bitterness in her voice, Alicia wasn't surprised; Carter had a nasty streak. "Look the people who have stayed, they only know half of it but with what they do know they are afraid of when Taylor won't deal with us. When you won't. "

"Nathaniel doesn't make decisions based on personal issues, and I wouldn't influence him too. You will receive support based on what is best for the colony." It annoyed her that the woman assumed that. "And if that was the case do you think we would have worked with you this past year?"

"I don't know why you do. Why you risked your life for us after we stood by. Maybe the rkids, I can get it, you believe the good soldier routine but Carter and I? Lucas? You sleep with the father of the man who tried to murder you; who celebrated when he believed he had."

"What, am I supposed to hate you? Would that be easier to swallow?" It would be easier to do too, but she refused. Alicia would not allow herself to go there, and she would not allow herself to hate any of them for what had happened during Terra Nova's first war. "Should I hate Nathaniel too because his son was sick?"

"I'm sorry. I…" Mira started, her face was white as a sheet.

"No, you wanted to dig into the past. Open up something painful and get a reaction. Now you've got one." Fury burned inside her, and Alicia fought the desire to give the woman a taste of her own logic. "I was a teenager when I joined up, when I took an oath. I didn't take a job Mira I took an oath to serve and protect my country with my life. I didn't take a job or chose my own ideas, I followed orders and carried them out within the standards and laws set forth by my country; I followed them here."

"Terra Nova is my country, I uphold our laws and I will protect this colony with my life. I made peace with death a long time ago. I am going to die some day, but until that day I am going to fight, and I have been given the chance to fight for something better. But here's the thing. I knew what I was getting into, I came here knowing that someday people would oppose the colony; Taylor and I both knew. We knew it before you came and before you made trouble. The people who didn't were the colonists, they should not have had to live through what you had a part in bringing here. And maybe I wear physical scars but everyone here has scars from that." She rounded the desk, moving to stand a couple feet from Mira, forcing her too look her in the eye.

"You introduced an enemy into this world that we all have to live with now. It is a little late to be looking around and realizing the colony walls look safe. But we all came here for a second chance, you'll get yours but trust has to be earned."

"So you are over it? Just part of the job?" Mira sighed, and the woman's body slumped down a little.

"We will support the Sixers as long as the trade is for the good of the colony." Alicia hesitated before finishing. "And Mira, do not speculate on my relationship with my husband. I am sorry for what you have lost, but there is no going back; I hope you will find some happiness here."

…

Mira left the Command Center, he nodded to the guards on the door who fell in step to escort her down to the gate. Nathaniel headed back into the office to find his wife, he had listened to the conversation between Alicia and Mira.

The woman had dug into something miserable his wife lived with and because she was tougher than most she had moved past it, even faced a woman complicit in her torture. Alicia could take it but Mira hit a nerve for him, and it took all his control to hold his ground. Alicia didn't need him to fight her battles, something she proved again in handling Mira.

It didn't ease his mind any, and looking at her, already at her desk he needed to hold her. She wasn't fine, but she was trying to hide in her work. Nathaniel went to her desk, moving behind it he slid his hands under her arms and hauled her to her feet.

"Nathaniel?" She protested as he turned her into his chest. He didn't care.

"Shsh." For a moment he needed to step away from the job, and wrapping his arms around his wife he rested his cheek against hers. He anchored an arm around her, his other sliding between them to their child.

She was tough as nails and let few people through her guard, that he was one of them meant a lot. That she had always let him see her, as a soldier, an asset in the field and in command, and then as a woman; something that had taken him entirely too long to do.

"I love you." His wife's hands framed his face, and he pulled back to look into her eyes, she gave him a soft smile.

"I love you too." And sometimes it overwhelmed him. "I just needed a minute."

He let her go, brushing his fingers over her cheeks for a moment before turning back to his desk. He needed to review the Sixers' requests and deal with the supply run for Guzman to outpost four. And he wasn't going to pull his wife into the past to handle his own feelings.

She settled back to her own work and he turned to Guzman's supplies first, the colony was his top priority. This would be the first round of supplies they had run since the occupation shut them down. Each unit had taken their own start up kit but they had been out a few months, and it was past time they put things back to normal.

The out posts and research stations were crucial to Terra Nova's expansion and development. Given the new risks they were more heavily armed than they had ever been before, with a minimum of four security personnel per station. It had been Alicia who had headed the outpost project, and based on her map they would continue to develop the network of outposts throughout the region only Guzman would head it up now.

Continuing the work meant developing supply routes again, and he knew those would be tempting to both their allies and their enemies. The problem was security.

Without the influx of residents from the pilgrimages their numbers were capped and the colony grew at a much slower rate. They felt it more and more as time progressed. Security wasn't the only detail that could do with more bodies; almost all could. And with the increased security on the outposts he didn't have many to spare for supply runs; at least not as many as he'd like.

He figured they would get at least one run through clean, before anybody knew they were shipping supplies out; but after that it was only a question of time. The Sixers were hard up, and those convoys would include food, medicine, munitions and technology that would be hard to pass up. They'd started over this time without the plans they'd made the first time; without the connections.

When the Phoenix would try was anyone's guess but the only ones who had come back here with plans to stay were the ones who built Terra Nova; and now everyone else had had the time to realize that they were well and truly stuck. And the meager supplies they'd brought for their visit had to be gone one way or the other. He wanted to lead the supply run himself.

His security teams had come a long way but his experienced soldiers were already assigned to other operations. There were only a handful of them who had seen war before Terra Nova, and theirs had by his standards been brief, not the wars of the past that dragged on for years until the land was nothing but a waste pit littered with bodies and death. That was where the Phoenix had been, what they had seen; what they thrived in. That destruction had lined their pockets, making their organization rich and the soldiers who fought for duty and country sick.

Alicia couldn't lead it, he wouldn't allow it now. She wouldn't like it if he took it either, but for at least the first one he knew she wouldn't argue. But he needed to set up the protocols, the routes and the team.

He considered the names on his duty roster for a team leader. He'd like to take Reynolds, that boy was a solid soldier and fierce fighter. And due to be married, a newlywed would not appreciate an assignment taking him off colony three days a week even though he doubted the boy would complain. And the kid was a solid point on patrols, the Corporal was a good leader and had a sharp eyes, they needed that on their fences.

Reilly was good, and didn't have the personal responsibilities of some, she was also a decent medic. Though Reilly would leave a hole in his night shift that was hard to fill; the woman was one of very few who enjoyed the night watch. Not to mention she was an expert at handling Malcolm Wallace when the need arose; and periodically it did.

Kane and Brody were both possible but neither had the experience to be team leader; maybe in time. Reilly would work point, he built the team off of that; turning to Alicia for input as she knew the how the soldiers worked together better than he did. And picked up on undercurrents he didn't see, his wife observed a lot in the day to day dispatch of patrols and duty rosters that he didn't see and sometimes didn't notice.

"You don't consider Shannon?" Alicia commented as he lamented taking Reilly out of the night rotation. "He's a good cop, and you trust him, you know he is capable but you still don't see him as part of the military."

She was right, he didn't. Shannon had duties within the colony and some of those required great responsibility but the man wasn't a soldier; and half the time he wouldn't follow an order. "Do you think he is right for this?"

"No, family man, he wouldn't want it. But he might be a good one to have going OTG more if Mira's telling the truth. He might be able to sniff out a bit more about a breakaway group. I just thought I'd point out that anything where you expect direct combat you ignore him, even if you consider him third in command. He has as much experience as any of our soldiers." Alicia smirked at him as she made a valid point.

"And any of our soldiers who argue with an order get a rip; Shannon would end up with a court marshal if I counted him a soldier. The man's a cop, to the bone; cop and soldier are two different breeds." Shannon had to ask questions, poke at things a person might want left alone; it didn't make for a good soldier.

But even the army had a CID unit made up to poke and sniff at things people might want left alone for the wrong reasons. And like the criminal investigative division the army had his security team had Shannon; neither of the posts were assigned active duty except during times of war.

"I'll talk to him about going on a few tours, and see what he can dig up in the mean time. Mira wants favors, maybe she can trade some intel." It was a good idea, and he had no doubt Shannon would take the challenge, coordinating work crews could not be a fascinating assignment for him. "Want to help me map the routes?"

Alicia nodded and came to lean against his desk, they spent the next hour deciding routes. They would alternate, avoid predictability and pinch points. His wife headed to the market at the end of shift while he briefed the soldiers on their new assignments.

…..

She enjoyed the market, the buzz of activity and the people. Wandering from stall to stall she picked up fresh produce, zip steaks and juice. She figured she had about an hour before Nathaniel was done, it was enough time to get supper on and it would be great to get out of her armour.

Alicia roamed down by the design venders, they would have to start getting baby things soon; knowing the gender would help. She browsed a little, they were converting the second room into the nursery. Nathaniel wanted to build a sun room off the living room for their home gym. Her husband had plans for decorating but Alicia had a few of her own. And since he was going away a few days next week she was going to have it done before he was home.

"Commander Taylor." Reflexively Alicia turned to look for her husband, she took his name and shared his rank but she didn't hear it very often. Her last name some but very rarely the rank; mostly people still called her Wash. Maddie Shannon came around the table smiling at her. "Hi."

"Hey Maddie. How are you?"

"Pretty good, I'm looking for a dress, nobody has anything in white; an old style." Maddie near bubbled as she spoke, her fingers working a ring on her left hand; the girl was so excited to be married.

"Ah, you've looked around then?" Alicia's mind flashed to a box in her closet; it had been there since it came through the portal. She had thought she might wear it some day but by the time the day had come for her and the man dress blues had been far more fitting.

"Yes, but there is something I wanted to ask you too." Maddie bounced along beside her as Alicia started to walk, angling towards her unit. "Well Mark wanted to ask but he won't and I guess I kind of wanted to ask you something too, well someone but…"

"Come in." Alicia told her gently, opening the door and letting Maddie walk in first. The girl was famous for babbling, it drove Nathaniel crazy. The girl knew what she was talking about but getting her to the point could be difficult, especially when she got nervous and they both made her nervous. Apparently what ever this was did too.

"I think it would mean a lot to Mark if you stood up at our wedding. See he has four groomsmen, the guys from his unit and Josh. It would have been weird for him to just ask three of them. But I have three bridesmaids and we want it to be traditional; they are all going to wear their uniforms. And you trained him, he is so proud to be in security and he doesn't have any family here." Maddie explained and hovered while Alicia dumped her groceries in the steri bin; whatever this was, it was going to take a few minutes.

"Slow down Maddie." Alicia rubbed her forehead, she knew they were going to end up going to the ceremony; the entire colony would. But she was not keen on standing up at it. "Don't you think you should ask a friend, or a co-worker? That would even out the numbers."

"No, I mean my whole family is there and he's asked my brother to be his groomsman, I want someone he cares about to stand up there too. I know you're his commanding officer, and that he is kind of scared of you but he really respects you. Please?" Brown eyes begged her, and Alicia winced, it wasn't just a matter of whether or not she wanted to do it.

"I want you to try and find another brides maid, but if you can't and you still want me up there I'll be there." Because both Maddie and Reynolds were good kids, and their day should be special; the way they wanted it. But there was a very good chance that even today her dress uniform would not fit, not to mention that she wouldn't be able to hide the pregnancy as the uniform fell in straight, clean lines that her body no longer followed. She could borrow Nathaniel's jacket and leave the shirt partially undone beneath it. "Now come back here, there is something I want to show you."

"But I kind of wanted to talk to you about something. I mean I should talk to my mom but it's too weird. I guess she'll know, I mean we're getting married and we want a family but I kind of want to pretend she doesn't know…" Alicia closed her eyes for a moment; she knew where the kid was heading with that. She was not going there today.

"Let's bank that conversation for another day. Come look at this and I promise some other day I will answer any questions you have." Why did she have to deal with this? But she guessed it came from having friends with kids. She couldn't blame the girl for not wanting to discuss sex with her mother but Alicia didn't want to discuss it with the teenager either. Especially not when she was very much approaching the family part; and most were unaware of that.

Opening the closet she wished for a moment she was alone and could strip off the heavy armour she wore. Instead she reached up for the box on the top shelf, a memento from her past and a dress she had never had the cause to wear, nor ever would as a married woman. Setting it on the bed she lifted off the lid and slid open the seal.

"It will probably need a wash, and some tailoring but it is white. And in wedding rules it could be your something borrowed." Alicia lifted the lacy white gown from the storage box it had spent well over fifty years in and heard Maddie squeak behind her. "I'd be happy for you to have it if you like."

"But don't you…"

"Maddie I'm married and I am not the white dress sort; I followed the wrong family tradition for that. The uniform suited me and my husband just fine. In all likelihood this dress would have sat until someone had to clear it out when I'm gone. This dress belonged to my grandmother."

"Did your mom wear it too?" Maddie reached out to touch the lacy sleeve, her eyes the size of saucers.

"No, my parents never married." Her parents had been soldiers, she had been conceived on the battlefield and had chosen to spend her life standing on it. Her mother had been killed her first tour back when Alicia had been only months old; she had no memory of the woman. But she knew it had disappointed her grandparents. They'd had an old fashioned sense about them, it had grounded them but been hard on her dad.

"It's really pretty." The girl whispered, hardly touching it.

Alicia pulled it up and held it against the girl. It was nearly all white lace, Shannon was going to hate it but as she coaxed Maddie into trying it on Alicia had a feeling others were going to love it.

"Hold still." She ordered as Maddie squirmed while she tried to fix the tiny clasps. She had never worn something this fussy and now she realized why; it was a nightmare to get into.

Three quarter length lace sleeves played peekaboo with tanned skin, the dress revealed most of the girl's back and rested just off the shoulder. A scooped neck line and fitted corset showed the girl's figure beautifully. It was fitted through the hips and flowed to the floor, the angled hem providing a short train. When Alicia got the laces done and stepped back she had to smile; the girl looked beautiful.

She led Maddie to the bathroom, and let her take a look in the full length mirror. The girl had tears in her eyes as Alicia fixed the short veil in her hair, even with her hair tumbling around her shoulders and her bra straps showing the kid looked like a bride; all dolled up on the day she was going to stop a couple hearts.

Alicia heard the front door open and slipped away, leaving the girl to stare at her reflection while she headed off her husband. She made it to the kitchen when quick foot steps behind her made Alicia turn; she heard her husband suck in a breath a moment before Maddie Shannon was wrapped around her. Alicia felt her gut clench.

….

He saw his wife coming down the hall, her armour still on and a slightly pained look on her face. Nathaniel was about to comment when Maddie Shannon came chasing after her and launched; Alicia looked helpless as the girl wrapped around her. Maddie was decked out in white and by the looks of it Alicia had found a way to either kill Shannon or get him outlawed for murder. He saw the exchange that had Alicia wincing and Maddie's cheeks turning red as realization hit. It was a good time to become scarce, he turned for the door he had just stepped through.

By the time he came back from the market Alicia was at the counter cutting vegetables or working out some aggression; it was hard to tell which. "You alright?"

"Great, Maddie knows and has promised not to tell her mother; which means I've got about twenty four hours until that slips." Alicia worked the knife over another vegetable, and gave him a helpless look; he schooled his face quickly. If his wife wasn't so lean it would be easier to hide, her armour worked for now; but a full body hug was noticeable.

Stepping close he began working on her armour, it hadn't done the job this time and while he would never admit it to his wife, as he intended to live to see their child, he was glad this forced her hand. She would have to go to the clinic and get checked out before Maddie accidentally told her mother.

"Did she take the dress?" He asked as he pulled the armour off her and tossed it on the couch.

"Yes, so I figure I'm safe for tonight." She paused with the knife and turned to face him. "She wants to talk to me about sex. And to stand up at her wedding."

Nathaniel fought to keep a straight face, he wouldn't let his amusement show; and he better start relaxing her. He put the veggies back in the steri bin and hung up her armour before guiding his wife to the couch and dropping onto the opposite end.

"What did you do?" She growled as he pulled her feet into his lap and began working the laces on her boots.

"Absolutely nothing." But he was not going to feign innocence, even if he would rub her feet just because he knew they would be sore.

She was relaxing as he rubbed her legs, pleased with himself Nathaniel popped the clasps on her weapon harness and pants. His wife rolled her eyes as he pulled her cargo pants off.

Nathaniel worked his hands from knee to ankle, feeling Alicia arch her back. He grinned when she pulled out her pony tail and shifted down so he could have more access to her. His hands slid higher and then around her hips, he leaned down and kissed her belly. She was in good shape and usually her stomach was flat and toned; now it began to swell with his child. He'd be lying if that didn't give him a little bit of a rush.

He could admit he was scared, after what Lucas had become and had done; had done to Alicia. And yet as his wife had told him, repeatedly, Lucas had been a good kid and a sweet young man until he began using Wicked and his reactions were similar to others addicted to the drug but the boy had been offered too much power. Nathaniel didn't consider that an excuse and perhaps why he was afraid of what he would pass forward to this child. But he would not let fear stand in the way of making a family with his wife, and he would do everything he could to make sure this child was grounded and raised with strong values.

It might be wrong but he hoped Alicia was carrying a baby girl, a sweet little girl that was as beautiful, compassionate and brave as her mother. He hoped it would be a long time before they had to tell their child about Lucas, he didn't know how to explain Lucas to a child.

"Nathaniel, you don't mind about the dress do you?" Alicia shifted in his arms until her head was in his lap, Nathaniel ran his fingers through her hair; pulling back from his thoughts.

"I think you gave Maddie a beautiful gift that she will treasure, Shannon may not agree but he has to live with it." Though he did want to see Shannon's reaction.

"That's not what I mean, the dress; should I have worn it for you?" Brown eyes focused on his intently.

"No, Alicia our blues, they were right. And I am proud that you have served, of how you have served and that we've served together." Nathaniel leaned down to kiss her. "And I enjoyed taking you out of your blues."

Her elbow found his ribs and he smirked, he enjoyed taking her out of most of clothes. That dress was pretty and Maddie Shannon would be a picture in it, and Reynolds would not forget the image any sooner than he would forget his lieutenant striding towards him in full dress uniform with the morning sun around her. Vowing not to be his second in command, but his wife, and now soon to be the mother of his child. Alicia Taylor something that pleased him, was too tough for a delicate little dress like that.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

Alicia knew when she was in a corner, and this was one she had backed herself into. She knew she should have handled things differently and if she had she wouldn't be stuck in this bind. It was a cage she had built around herself by every day she let slip by, every extra plate she added to her armor, and the strategies she used to avoid colonists who might notice. The most observant being Elisabeth Shannon.

It hadn't been that long since she had been in clinic waiting for her husband to regain consciousness, the new scar on his temple a reminder she didn't need. Alicia had been pregnant then, but thankfully the medicals had been too busy with Nathaniel to notice her, and she had kept her armor on the entire time.

Now she strode towards the infirmary, her armor again snugly in place, a little too snug and extra plates stuffed into the chest strap to try and even out the shape of her body. The infirmary hummed with activity and Alicia picked her way through, looking for Elisabeth and found her in the closet she called an office.

The doctor's desk was piled with plexs, papers, holos and texts, a testament to the changes the colony faced and some took in stride. Elisabeth was focused on a plex as Alicia slid in and leaned against the wall. It took a moment for the woman to notice her, and Alicia though she looked tired and worn.

"Maddie is ecstatic about the dress so I need to thank you, but it's been awhile Alicia, either I have to put in a request or Nathaniel has to get hurt for you to turn up. A person could think they were being ignored." She continued to read and missed the way Alicia's jaw set at the comment; her hand moving to the straps on her armor.

"Wouldn't be far off." Gritting her teeth Alicia pulled the straps that anchored the front plate, letting it fall to the side as Elisabeth turned to give her a sharp look.

The doctor made a soft 'oh' sound as she caught a look at what the tanks Alicia favored did more to display than mask. There was a long moment of silence, the doctor shifted to face her directly and Alicia resisted the urge to turn and simply walk out. It had to happen, she'd kept her secret to long, forced Nathaniel to keep it; and it was far better coming from her than from someone else.

"Well." Elisabeth murmured, Alicia saw the cool examination in her eyes but she also saw a flash of hurt. It didn't make her feel any better as the doctor slowly got to her feet. "You're here, does that mean I get to take a look?"

It felt like there was miles between them right now, and this was a woman, one of very few people, she would count as a friend; and outside the military. She nodded silently figuring she was going to have to shut up and submit to any tests the woman ordered, and followed her out of the office and stepped into the exam room that was pointed to.

Left alone for a moment she eased into the chair beside the exam table and slid the last fastenings on her armor to slide out of it. Elisabeth returned, wheeling a portable diagnostic unit that was probably in high demand. She didn't wait to be told and silently slid up onto the table.

The doctor gloved her hands and shook her head as she turned to the unit at Alicia's hip. "And you were in here for hours not that long ago, not a single one of us noticed. However I assume you didn't want us to."

There was resignation in the woman's tone and Alicia shut her eyes as her tank top was pulled up her ribs and the cold diagnostics band was laid over her. The doctor picked up the control and began to tap at buttons, entering codes and scanning the results. "Sixteen weeks, you are long past the time frame for selection procedures."

Alicia stiffened. "Good."

"That means if there is a birth defect all I could do for you is attempt inutero surgery or abort; which at this stage is a lot more difficult to go either way. Not to mention we only have half the equipment and medication I would want." The doctor sighed.

"Selection hasn't been approved in the colony." Alicia growled, and as far as she was concerned it was a procedure that should stay in the past.

"It has a place, it has been abused and badly but at the core it served a good purpose. And as of yet there hasn't been a need for any expectant mother to have a full map worked up. But that was determined before the window was closed through a medical exam. Which you did not have."

Selection was a process of scanning an embryo within the first eight to ten weeks of development to map genetic indicators, if the scan turned up defects it allowed options ranging from termination, inutero surgery to genetic manipulation. In the past with population laws as they were and corruption as it was those who could afford the procedure used it to create designer babies. The wrong gender could be terminated, certain genetic markers manipulated for a child with blond hair and blue eyes or any combination that suited.

Given that a family was only allowed two children those who could pay justified that they should at least have two children of the gender, and style that the parents wanted. Yet with Elisabeth at the helm Alicia did not doubt that any expectant couple would be offered the procedure only with the best interest in their future child's health.

"Fair enough but I've taken precautions." She wouldn't excuse the risk of delaying the exam but then she hadn't been taking unnecessary risks either; not that Nathaniel would let her.

"How were the land wars Alicia? Somalia, the chemical warfare both you and Nathaniel have been exposed to? Or last year when your nervous system was fried and we could have lost you to infection?" The doctor set the control down and pulled the chair down to her side; Alicia fought the urge to snarl viciously. "It's not just about the precautions you've taken since you've known. It's about everything you've been exposed to, and your career has exposed you to more than most. But your son looks healthy and the scans are clean."

"A boy?" Alicia lay still, a little boy growing inside her, Nathaniel's son; their son.

"Yes, congratulations." The doctor's hand slid into hers and squeezed. "Have you had any morning sickness?"

"It's pretty well passed." A hand stopped her from sitting up as the doctor continued to fiddle with the machine.

A moment later the machine began to emit a rhythm almost like some form of drum, it took her a moment to pick out that it was two heart beats, her own the louder and slower until Elisabeth did something to the machine to cut it out. Alicia lay still and listened to the baby's heart, a fast patter, almost like wings beating the air. She slid her hand down to her stomach, unable to help it and wanting to feel him.

"A few more weeks and I'd expect you will begin to feel him starting to move; I'd put your due date in early October; the second week. Unless you can give me a date for conception."

"That's about what I guessed, there are, ah, date is kind of hard to pin down."

"Well, we'll monitor you, kind of hard to schedule those procedures anyways and I don't like to aim to early." The doctor commented, continuing to work with the machine, Alicia bit her lip.

"What if I don't want a bio sonic delivery?"

"Alicia its standard practice. It won't likely be bio sonic as our sonic procedures are already changing. But I can take the baby quickly and safely by C-section, we've nearly perfected a nu-skin formula to knit skin and minimize scar tissue from a plant derivative the science division was working on even before we lost the connection to the future." The woman was frustrated with her, and Alicia knew it; she deserved it.

"Our bodies were made for it, my baby can grow safely in me and I think I want to deliver him myself. It was done that way for centuries. Bio sonic procedures have only been around for forty years, I can remember when they became standard; it's not that long." Acadia, Storme and every woman in their neighboring camp had delivered their children with no modern medical support.

"And when I trained as a doctor I witnessed women going through labor Alicia, women who couldn't afford the procedure or didn't have insurance to cover it. It wasn't pleasant for them." Elisabeth removed a small tab, similar to a tag, from the machine and shut it off; motioning for her to sit. "Look I know you would have studied some of it in your medical training but in the clinic I can make sure it is safe for you. I can give you a local anesthetic so you can be awake to hold your son the moment we've got him cleaned up, I know there have been stories of women who've slept through it but that is just the reaction some have to anesthetics. The drugs will have minimal impact on him, he will be exposed to some of it by your system but nothing we give you, or do to you even now would risk him; that baby's health and safety is just as much a priority as yours."

"It's something I am thinking about. Nathaniel and I will make the decision closer to the time it happens." She knew it would be painful and much more difficult but she wasn't sold on the bio sonic procedure either.

"Fine but we will talk more about it. Now I am sure Nathaniel has already restricted some of your duties but…"

"You aren't going to tell me to live in a bubble for the next five and a half months. I will take precautions and I will be careful." Alicia growled.

"It would be a good idea to stop working, you don't need the stress and you certainly don't need the physical exertion." Elisabeth gave her another frustrated glance as she made notations in Alicia's medical record.

"No." The doctor didn't have to like it and she wouldn't be the only one. "I will not spar, I will not do PT or patrols and I will not go OTG. Nathaniel and I have already decided that. But we have run this colony together for eight years, and I usually handle the OTG missions, the fact I am unable to do that leaves a hole in our structure. I have duties and responsibilities within the colony that I have always managed and can continue to handle. I will not make him take it all on himself, nor will other members of security shoulder all my tasks. Guzman, your husband and our squad leaders have already been assigned a number of my duties. They will handle them until I have the baby and then I fully intend to resume active duty; just as everyone else needs to attend their own tasks."

"Closer to your due date you may need to revisit what you can handle. And I can't speak for Guzman or your squad leaders but I believe I can speak for my husband and yours when I say no one will mind taking a bit of extra work for the few months you need to have your child. You are a stubborn woman and completely oblivious to what you mean to the people around you. You can fight with the boys Wash, you don't have to prove it."

She did growl at that, and perhaps her husband was rubbing off as she ignored the comment, fixing her shirt she slid off the exam table. She had already spent too much time here. The baby was healthy, it was a little boy and she knew her husband would be happy to know both those facts. She would take the time to tell him that but then she needed to get back to work.

"Stop." Elisabeth put a hand on the door knob, Alicia knew she could bully past the woman and the doctor knew it too; but she wouldn't. "I am mad at you, and at myself. I am guessing my daughter knows and she clearly didn't tell me, and with the trial we've had you in I understand why Nathanial was hesitant to discuss it. And just shut up."

Alicia bit her lip, she had been about to tell her Nathaniel had handled it alright. She would let her friend vent, because she had earned at least that much.

"You are here because you were cornered and that annoys me. I knew you two were trying and I was hoping you would. But what really annoys me is you are sixteen weeks along, no I haven't seen you much but you haven't been invisible either and I didn't notice. I'd hoped we were close enough friends you would be able to trust me." Elisabeth put a hand on her arm.

"If I told you others would find out." She murmured. "I wanted the baby, our baby to be mine and Nathaniel's for a while, the longer I hid it the harder it became to tell anyone."

"Alicia, friendship aside I am your doctor. Anything you tell me, any treatment I provide is confidential. I can't tell anyone."

"I'm sorry." She meant that, and it was enough to make her back up to lean against the exam table. "Want to tell me about the next part of the plan?"

Shaking her head Elisabeth dropped onto the stool and began to outline the theory, it helped to hear it outlined, to hear the ideas and pieces that had not made it into the final report.

There were some environmental factors they saw commonly, contact irritation, bites, contaminated cuts and scrapes. There had been several serious issues in the past few years, serious infections and reactions to irritants, pollen and venom. The Sixers had seen just as much as they had but with restricted access to medical care many had died.

"Am I still a viable candidate?" This would be the kicker, Elisabeth had figured this out unaware of her condition.

"Yes." But Alicia saw the concern in the doctor's face. "But is it worth the risk?"

"How big is the risk?" She wasn't the only one who got to decide that.

"Not huge, clearly the medication has not had a negative effect on the baby. I can use the bio bed to monitor your vitals and the baby's but the procedure will be done by incision; like I said before sonic procedures are changing. I can use a general anesthetic, we have one that I know is safe but it will have to be measured depending on the time it takes me to work; that takes some finessing . My hesitation is the procedure is not necessary to your health; and the recovery time is nonnegotiable."

"Understood." The goal would be to work up an antibody profile on her, taking cells from her spleen, tissues rich in antibodies, platelets and white blood cells. "Why are you uncomfortable?"

"I don't like asking you to undergo an experimental procedure, and I really don't like it now. I want to say there is a risk, a reason you can't be considered and I don't like that either."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

An unscheduled trip OTG did not put him in a good frame of mind; and it made him late getting home. There were issues with the new hydro energy system, the energy grid was less than a click beyond the wall and with a work crew on site he wanted it resolved sooner rather than later. Jones headed construction and he had to respect that the man was a work horse. The plans for the day were shot but the man had put his crew to work setting the lines deeper to keep wildlife away from them.

The foreman had met him at the site, looking frustrated and tired. The bases of the grid had already been sunk into the river bed, the problem arrived this morning. The modules built by the science division had been modified from the blue prints and did not fit into the support structure. Apparently during construction of the modules the science division had found a flaw in the design that they had fixed without informing anyone. Now they had two pieces of the grid that didn't fit together.

Construction agreed to redesign the base, and he understood their frustration as they had followed the blue prints and it wasn't going to be a simple fix. What was more concerning was the worn surface on the other bank, and when they crossed the river a few tricks he had picked up from his wife had nerves on edge. Their perimeter mines had been spaced out considerably in the last six months after the last EMP; it was one of the reasons they were glad to have the second wall. But it meant the outer perimeter was vulnerable, wildlife could wander closer to the colony than ever.

And by the way the far bank was being worn down he figured something was coming here regularly, by the tracks it was something big. Some of these creatures were smart, they didn't just hunt they would watch and stalk. But what he didn't know was how well they could swim. The river was deep and wide, the currents strong and that worked in their favor. He was going to have to increase security on the site, who knew if or when whatever was coming here to water would find a way to cross the river and put the work crew at risk.

By the time he got on base the colony was going quiet, work details were done, afternoon shift was well underway for security and it was long past time for him to get home. He had passed his paperwork off to his wife this morning, leaving her a note as Alicia hadn't returned from the clinic when he got called out. Leaving the rover at the bays Nathaniel walked home, and found Alicia had supper on, already out of her work gear and hair damp from the shower; he was very late.

"Hydro grid coming together?" She asked, following him down the hall.

"It's coming, science division apparently found a problem and fixed it without telling any of us." He filled her in as he stored his gear and changed into clean clothes. Alicia listened and crossed to her dresser to pick something up. It was an old tab, he hadn't seen one in a few years, and didn't know what use it would be.

"Talk to the doc this morning?" He asked as she walked towards him, reaching for her.

His hand had started to slide around her as her leg hooked behind his knees and he dropped onto the bed with a grunt. Nathaniel started to ask, but she straddled his lap; a mischievous grin breaking across her face. She looped an arm around his neck and he slipped his around her hips, pulling her hips to his; feeling her belly pressed against him. "Want to see your son?"

"It's a boy?" Nathaniel asked, his hand sliding over her belly.

"Yeah." Holding up the tab she clicked it and the holo projected.

He swallowed hard as he looked at the projection of their baby, a little boy safely nested in his wife's body. His hand slid around her middle, as he pulled her down to him. He smiled as he kissed her, feeling her press into him. Nathaniel tightened the arm around her and rolled her under him, nuzzling his way down her neck. Alicia arched and he grinned, pulling her tank up so he could press his mouth to her belly; to their baby.

"I have dinner on."

"I don't care." Nathaniel grinned, pulling himself up to distract her and remind her that he needed her.

And later she sat cross legged on the couch in his shirt and stole bites off his plate. "I spoke to Elisabeth about developing the vaccine."

"And?"

"It is safe, but I will need about a week or so down after." Alicia paused to steal a piece of his kabob and he smirked. "Shut up. I made supper and I missed lunch. Anyway the anesthetic is safe for both me and the baby, the procedure should only take a few hours. They will need to do the science thing to work up the vaccine, maybe a month to have it ready."

"Are you going to be awake through it?" He asked, trading plates with her; he wasn't very hungry talking about this topic.

"No. It's a general anesthetic. But it needs to happen sooner rather than later, preferably before he gets too much bigger."

"I want to stay with you." She gave him an annoyed look but he didn't care. "My wife. My son, I'm not going to be anywhere else."

Much later he lay awake, her excited voice playing over and over in his head; asking if he wanted to see his son. She slept now, even in the heat she curled into his side and idly he rubbed her back. He should be happy, and a part of him was, but something dark stirred deep in his mind. Every man wanted a son, a boy to pass on his trade, his skills and his name to.

A boy who would become a man, who would look after his wife when he was gone, who would have his own children and build his own household. Was it wrong that he had almost hoped for a girl, a girl to take after her mother, loyal to death, fiercely protective and compassionate. His wife was proof that a woman could learn to do anything, he could teach a daughter to fight, to defend her home just as he could a son. He had already lost a son, in truth lost him many years before he died; he couldn't loose another child to death or evil.

He couldn't deny the reality that he would be an old man when this child became a man, too old to fight him if he became an enemy of the colony. And he could hardly hope his wife would, something like that would kill Alicia. She already wore too many scars from a child from his body, how did he make sure this boy was different?

Nathaniel knew neither of them could change what or who they were, and that meant there was a risk that this baby might someday loose one or both of them. And while he did not doubt the colony would raise their child with love, Lucas had been loved and it had been loosing his mother that drove him over the edge. He would do everything in his power to make sure this baby never lost Alicia for if that happened then they both lost her; and he wasn't sure he could survive that. He had barely survived loosing Ayani but what he shared with Alicia burned even stronger; she understood him in ways no one else did. And because of that they would get through this.

They would raise this child as best they could, and a part of him hoped they would not raise it alone. Although if he could not convince Alicia to have a bio sonic procedure she may never want to have another. Like Alicia he had been an only child and Ayani had only wanted Lucas; the pregnancy had been hard on her. And that was something he feared for Alicia, she was strong but he would do what ever he could to make the term easier for her.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

She was comfortable in his arms and someone knocking on the door had her snarling. Her loving husband laughed at her. Alicia glared and curled deeper into the bed, she was warm and relaxed; she was not answering the door. Nathaniel pulled on his cargo pants and left the room pulling his shirt over his head.

Whoever it was better have a good reason, it was Friday night, shift was over and this not a good time. Nathaniel stepped back into the room and she grinned. "Got rid of them?"

"No. Get dressed." He tossed her shirt at her and Alicia moaned, crawling into it and finding a pair of shorts.

Running her fingers through her hair she tried to work out some of the tangles before she had to pull it up. Elisabeth Shannon looking altogether uncomfortable in their living room made Alicia freeze for a moment. Nathaniel stepped up behind her and gave her a push forward as he strapped on his weapon harness. "I think I'll go make sure the watch rotations are alert. Let you two visit."

"Right." She mumbled, pulling a tie around her hair, bundling it up off her neck; this was awkward. Things between her and the doctor were strained, she had told her about her pregnancy earlier in the week but she had taken her time getting to it and Alicia knew Elisabeth had been hurt. "Hey."

"Hi Alicia, I am sorry to drop in on you, clearly I've interrupted something but I do want to talk." The doctor hovered, seeming a little out of place.

"Sit, you want coffee or something?" Alicia looked around, uncomfortable herself; other than Zoe or someone looking for one of them they didn't have guests.

"No, I wanted to talk to you. Alicia I am sorry about the other day. Don't think I don't understand wanting to enjoy the secret of a baby and even from the outside I can understand wanting to keep it. The colony watches the two of you, and encroaches on your personal lives." Elisabeth dropped onto the couch, she sat on the other end; her protest silenced.

"And I need to apologize for being short with you, I do not enjoy working on you, or asking you to let me do so, but working on you is one thing. You and your baby, while safe does change things and puts my back up. No matter how safe or simple there is still and element of risk and it is on me."

"I should have told you, and I do know that you would have kept it quiet. It was exciting at first and then it was hard to think of telling anyone." And then she had trapped herself.

"I am glad you did and I am thankful you kept that dress."

"When we left we boxed up our stuff, we weren't sure we would ever see it again, it was sent through with the supplies on the second pilgrimage. I had a crate of personal stuff, I moved so many times on deployments that it was about all I had other than my gear pack and that came with me." And that was it, her lone crate had come through marked with her last name.

Each of them had been allowed to box up two crates to be shipped after them, if they made it. They had known they weren't going back, hadn't known whether they would survive, most had packed everything they could into those boxes. She didn't keep much other than her gear, the dress had come in a box of keepsakes, a few holos of her family, old books and the weapons from her grandpa's collection. She'd given Guzman her other crate for his daughter's stuff.

She hadn't seen any sense in bringing clothes beyond her uniforms which were a mandatory part of her gear and a few civvies she liked, those had gone in the pack that came with her. Household things they had to learn to source, Alicia hadn't even dreamed of having a house to herself until they'd gotten going on building the units and encouraged all of the officers to move out of the barracks.

Until Nathaniel it was mostly just a place to store her stuff and sleep; but over the years stuff had accumulated. It was only when she felt trapped that she realized how much it had become her space, and since she had married it was feeling more like a home. In five months it really was going to be a home, it was going to be the home that their little boy grew up in.

"Space in our packs was a prized commodity, thankfully it was just clothes and our personal items we needed to bring. Can you imagine having to pack everyone's furniture and household items through the portal?" Elisabeth shook her head, Alicia smirked a little; the woman had come in on the last pilgrimage.

"We didn't have to pack personal house holds through, but the supplies for fifteen hundred fully equipped units came through with the second; three days before they sent through the civilians. It was an operation." It had been something, they hadn't had a way to communicate with the world they left that first time they witnessed the portal open on this side; no way to warn the new comers what to expect or how their bodies would respond. There had been some tense moments.

"Until that point we only had three rovers and a cargo rhino. They sent through fifty rhinos and thirty rovers, each driven by a soldier joining the colony, each filled with supplies and hauling trailers with building materials. A lot of what we made the units out of was sourced here but the only building built before the second pilgrimage was the Command Center and the compound. For the first year we were alone here, we all lived there, the training facility was originally our barracks."

"That would have been challenging, I suppose you would have had some privacy; there couldn't have been many women." Elisabeth murmured, she could see the woman thinking it through; very few of the colonists knew about those days. It was the military that dealt with that.

"No, and no. I was the only woman, the original crew was hand picked. Guz, Mihal but he's gone, and I were from Nathaniel's unit and recruited in the planning stages. When we set up barracks my safety and privacy was being bunked over the Commander, it wasn't much different in the smaller tent camps."

Elisabeth's eyes went very wide and she laughed; to a civilian it had to sound odd. "You lived a year with that many men, all of you in one room. And what privacy or safety is being bunked over top of Commander Taylor?"

"We had concerns other than living arrangements. We were only in there to shower and sleep. And they did section off a shower stall for me. And no one would dare try anything, I was their CO and I trained all of them in hand to hand but the idea was that to get to my bunk to hassle me, snoop or anything else they literally had to climb over the Commander. He started that years ago." And while he felt it was a good idea it had often caused her problems, the last person she had always wanted bunking under her was her CO; but she knew there were a lot of women who had CO's that could have cared less.

"I don't know that I want to know why he did that." The woman commented, even though her eyes asked the questions.

"There was a string of issues in the camps we stayed in during the Somali war; early on. Camps we were in were small, close to the hot zone, usually consisted of command, medical and bunks. The bunks was one long tent meant to sleep a hundred soldiers. We were all special ops; there were probably a dozen units of six to ten rotating in and out of there. Not enough women to build a separate barrack and moved often enough that the idea was frivolous. They tried my bunk, I hit one and it woke some of the guys around me; one of them was Nathaniel." She shivered at the memory, it was insulting to everything she was, and she hadn't been a nurse from the tent hospital that hardly knew how to take care of herself.

But she had been asleep, they'd only gotten in from two weeks over the wire, and it had been a hard stretch so she'd been out flat. They'd nearly had her out of the bunk before she roused enough to fight, she'd been in base and they had celebrated that the wire had been pushed back even farther, that the camp would soon have to move closer to the enemy line; she had felt safe.

Their mistake had been while she had left a few rows between herself and the unit Nathaniel had a lower bunk only a few up. She had kicked out and thrown one off but Alicia still remembered hitting the floor when her CO had literally heaved the man with an intact face across the room; taking out a bunk and waking the entire tent to what had been nasty rumors circling. She had seen him mad but even now she couldn't remember another time he had been like that.

He had reamed the CO of the other unit, and command, there had been rumors he might get a rip for it. And rumors that they might ban female medical personnel from the wire camps, only allow active duty soldiers in them. But that rumor went around every time those sort of incidents came up and they came up because it had been her bunk where they got caught.

She was active duty but if they'd been a little gentler about it they might have gotten her out of the bunk and into a choke hold and she would have just been another rumor. If they'd got her, and she liked to tell herself, the protest would be, yet again, to ban women altogether from dangerous assignments. No matter how far the military came being a woman was always a fight.

After that the rule was set, as CO Nathaniel had the right to assign bunks and he did. He had rank so he got the better rack; she was on the top. And if his unit thought he was strict on propriety and honor before he doubled it. But whatever he said to command shook them. The two responsible were shipped home and tried in military court for sexual assault, dishonorable conduct, and crimes against the military, a catch all that simply meant they had jeopardized the war effort; for that to go to trial was rare and convicted on all counts as far as she knew both still sat in a brig.

"Sometimes I forget a little bit the life you lived before this. In reality I think all of us do. We don't really think about the wars, or the fight it must have been to build this place. I mean to come here, to be the second person through the portal; to be ordered to do it." Elisabeth sighed and Alicia winced, it was two years ago that Casey Durwin had spread that little known fact around, an attempt to guilt Nathaniel and at the time she didn't mind him feeling guilty; but people would not forget it.

"It wasn't quite like that. Nathaniel was offered it and when he agreed the military issued the orders and then he asked me if I would consider being his 2IC; I got papers as well, but I agreed. After that they did ask soldiers to sign up and picked from the list." And for over seven years no one knew that the military had issued paper on any of them, they had all gone with the advertisement that it was recruitment and lottery.

"But what if you had backed out? Either you or Nathaniel? Terra Nova wouldn't be the same and I sincerely doubt many others would have fought for what was right the way you two did."

"You might be surprised, the war was over but we lost a lot of people in it, there were only so many people with enough experience to go. They'd come through a war to have that experience, they wanted to survive same as we do." Every soldier saw a lot, and each handled it differently but a lot of them wanted a fresh start, a chance to change the way the world worked and that was exactly what Terra Nova was.

"Yes, Mark's favorite story. They were prepared to send the Commander but a record breaking young lieutenant too?" The woman laughed and had Alicia shifting a bit.

"They lost a lot of people, those of us who survived and had some rank and spec ops weren't too common. There were a lot of promotions when we got home."

"I've heard the story, I've heard a few different versions of it. And I didn't intend this trip into the past but I am thankful you ended up here; however it happened." Elisabeth reached out and took her hand, squeezing gently. "It has been a long time since we've talked but still you are tense with me."

Alicia started to speak but the woman silenced her. "I just realized this is the first time I have been in your home for any length of time, it suits you; both of you."

"Thanks." And it made her feel good to know that, sometimes it felt like they were both so used to temporary homes and work it was hard to keep it from being an extension of their office. The military had drilled both of them to be so neat that it always lacked the clutter that others seemed to have; she hoped their baby would change that.

Elisabeth chatted, moving onto a safer topic; wedding plans. Which thankfully did not require her to do more than smile, nod and make sounds of approval. Alicia heard the back door open and Boxer came tearing into the living room and bounced onto the couch; Nathaniel must have snuck into one of the back rooms.

It was another hour before she was able to let Elisabeth out, lock up and find Nathaniel, their evening in bed was gone and while Elisabeth was right, they had needed to talk, she was sort of disappointed. She found Nathaniel in the smaller of the spare rooms that now doubled as an office and workout room, the larger one had been emptied for a nursery.

She wasn't sure what they would do if their family expanded any more after this one. The standard unit only had three bedrooms, and a small sun room with a back door onto a patch of yard. But that problem was for down the line, right now she needed to get her husband to put work away.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

As Alicia crossed the colony she ignored the eyes that followed her, the whispers she couldn't hear. She had given up the uncomfortable armor she usually wore in favor of a loose jacket she didn't bother fastening; it felt great. She had only gained twelve pounds, but every bit of it was in the bump forming in her middle; and looking down she was afraid of what she would look like in another five months.

Her scans were normal, their son was growing inside her and the injections she was taking was probably giving him a head start on surviving this world. But the lifestyle he would need to learn was more in line with their neighbors beyond the gates.

The women were becoming close friends, offering advice in how to survive and live that reminded her so much of her grandparents; who accepted how she wanted to deal with this pregnancy. And Storme fully intended to deliver her baby, the woman seemed to assume it from the moment she had to Alicia she was pregnant. It was something she was considering.

She had some time to think about that, and to convince Nathaniel; though he wasn't entirely convinced on a C-section either. For now she was doing light work to help the women maintain their camp with most still up in the mountains bringing down their harvest. At first she had been concerned when they weren't back a few days after the storm, but the women were not.

Alicia had been given a lesson in agriculture. Harvest would take several weeks, and bringing it down safely took even more. Still she would rest easier seeing their neighbors back and this camp bustling again. But great progress had been made in laying out the camp, these women had done it many times before; although this time she sensed a finality in it.

They were building permanent homes, intending to stay with the colony, something she figured would be a great benefit for both settlements. Acadia was already laying stones as she walked up, they had tasked their soldiers scheduled for PT to drag loads of rocks up from the river bed to help the women who refused to wait idly for their families to return. Nathaniel had ordered it after he caught her dragging loads up for them.

Alicia enjoyed the work, and out here she was treated equally, her husband might watch through his scope but for the most part he let her work out here. In the colony people watched with guarded eyes and disapproval whenever she was doing anything. Her duties to the colony were primarily administrative now, and Nathaniel knew if he tried to keep her cooped up all the time his life would become difficult.

She did her work in the mornings and evenings, stopped at the infirmary when asked but slipped to the camp between the fence and the wall when ever she could. Nathaniel radioed her when she was needed at the command center.

…

He needed to touch base with Malcolm Wallace, and it was easier to corner the man when he was a little off guard. Roaming through the science division he frowned when he did not find the man. When he asked he was informed the man was on the other side of the compound; speaking to Elisabeth Shannon.

"You need to order scans much more frequently, the window of opportunity may be narrow; especially now. Her body will already be producing IgG and that will be enhanced, it may be passive but we can use it as the base." It wasn't hard to guess the topic of the conversation, though the excitement in the scientist's voice discussing his wife.

To her credit Elisabeth sounded far less enthused, and he eased a shoulder against the wall, unashamed to eavesdrop. While he didn't fully understand it, and didn't want to, he knew the target was her spleen.

Thanks to Alicia he understood some of the very basic functions of the organ and that the goal of this treatment was essentially tricking it. Making it tell her body she needed more white blood cells than she did while filtering what were taken to be impurities in her blood and storing them.

"The fact she is pregnant may be good in your eyes but I have my own concerns about that. She was in for a scan the day before yesterday and the levels in her blood were not within the range you are looking for." Elisabeth sounded distracted to him, and he was tempted to step into the room. "If she doesn't reach the appropriate level within the next two to three weeks I will not preform the procedure."

Two to three weeks, in that amount of time his son would be at a stage where the doctor would not be willing to do it. He listened as Malcolm tried to convince the woman a later time frame might be possible. It encouraged him to hear the doctor dig her in her heels.

Nathaniel decided to leave talking to Malcolm for another time, he did not like how eager the man seemed to be to have Alicia under a knife; Nathaniel didn't like it. At the moment he wanted to see his wife.

Crossing the market he headed to the gate, he knew where to find her. Alicia preferred the camp to the colony of late, more so since he had asked her not to go OTG; at times she was like a caged cat within the walls. He refused to deny her the satisfaction of the working in the camp and learning these people's survival skills. Her mindset fit with their lifestyle and in truth his as well.

He found her standing in the new construction of a hut, smoothing some sort of concrete mix around a new layer of stones; she looked happy. As he approached the women working with Alicia seemed to fade away; they tended to shy away from him.

It was with great hesitation they accepted any help from the colony. The camp was nearly empty with so many away harvesting the crops they planted before moving down here. But the small group of women managed, managed better than he thought most colonists would have.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as she wiped her hands on her cargos.

"I am fine." He caught the eye roll she stopped. "We've got nearly half the bases up."

"Looks good, do they know when the rest of the camp will be back?"

"I don't know, with the storms we've had I worry." Her eyes roamed the women who had moved to another plot to work. "They're starting to worry too."

"We've discussed sending a unit that way." And he was tempted to do it either way, the storm had hit the colony hard; his side still ached from it's last round.

"Nathaniel we can't interfere." There was disappointment in her voice, he knew she wanted to help; probably wanted to lead it herself.

"Not in this, at least not yet." He offered her water from the flask on his hip. "Doctor Shannon is going to want to operate soon."

"I know. And I know she can't get a clean forward scan." Her hand slid down to rest on their son. He swallowed hard as he thought of the child growing within her. "Nathaniel my next scan will be positive. If she'd asked to see me today it would have been."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

Alicia lay back on the table, seeming unconcerned as Nathaniel fought the urge to pace. Choosing to stay close to her, his wife wore only her bra and shorts, the nurse draped a blue cloth over her middle and the obvious swell of their son. He was probably being paranoid but the nurse looked like a kid, she was at least ten years younger than his wife but the girl continued to prep, hooking up an IV, missing the first try but catching the second. He kept his mouth shut and focused on Alicia.

The doctor entered, checking the diagnostic screen and the IV, making notes and instructing the nurse to monitor the levels in her blood. He listened, trying not to worry as the doctor washed and gloved her hands.

"I want you to count backwards from fifty." The nurse told her, he saw his wife smirk a little, but she obeyed.

Her voice got thick and slurred, she stumbled over a few numbers before fading out. Nathaniel watched pretty brown eyes close and swallowed hard, her grip on his hand slipping away. Elisabeth reached out and lay her arm straight; he slid his palm along her cheek.

"Commander I know you intend to stay, please keep your hands clear of the drape." Both the doctor and his wife had tried hard to talk him out of staying with her, and he knew it wasn't typical procedure but he wanted to be close and had used his position to do so.

It was harder than he had anticipated, and he had a feeling the doctor felt the same as she palmed the scalpel a moment; hovering over Alicia's belly. Nathaniel fought the tension creeping up his back, watching her work and watching his wife's face; she wasn't as peaceful as he would like. Not as peaceful as when she slept soundly; but then that was something only he could know.

If he could look at her face and believe she was sleeping it might be easier, it would be easier to ignore the doctor working inside her. An hour passed but that didn't bother him much, he was all for the doctor being careful. But he noticed the nurse seemed focused on the doctor's hands and not her screen. He knew the bed was alarmed to her vitals and would beep if she was in trouble but the doctor was entirely focused on his wife; and it was her experience he trusted.

"She's alright Commander." The doctor murmured, catching a look of concern he must have allowed to show. "I've got her."

"All due respect doc, but the in good hands speech will work better when your hands aren't inside her, and aren't so close to my son." Nathaniel kept himself in check, there was more he thought to say but didn't. Alicia was Elisabeth's friend, the doctor was good and that was a fact he knew; but he also knew she cared.

"S'all right." His heart kicked up and the doctor froze as they both looked to Alicia's face. Bleary brown eyes were struggling to focus on him. But her hand slid out from under the draped and knocked against his; he met the doctor's eyes fighting panic. "Doesn't really hurt, just feels weird."

"Okay Alicia, that's good." He breathed, knowing he couldn't let her see his panic. This was not okay.

"Show me that screen." The doctor snarled, one of only a few times he had heard Elisabeth Shannon sound vicious. When she spoke again the woman's tone was sharp. "Go tell Naomi to get in here fast. I don't need you back here."

The nurse looked terrified as she scrambled from the room and he thought he saw the doctor shudder, even as her hands remained inside his wife. He looked down as Alicia tried to rub her eyes, gently he slid her hand back into his and murmured for her to stay still; he had to count on the doctor to deal with this.

"I've got her Commander, Nurse Ogawa is coming, I am not going to be able to move until we check her stats but she is stable and so is the baby." The woman finished as her right hand rushed in and immediately began to work.

"Stay still Liz." The nurse was experienced and it showed, these two worked together often and within moments he saw Alicia starting to fade out; feeling her grip on his hand slide away. "She's under, I'll get her steady; you're clear."

"Review the log and print it for me." The doctor instructed as she slid her hands out of Alicia, and he watched as for just a moment the surgeon sighed; letting her shoulder's relax. "What's her blood sat?"

"Too low." The nurse replied quickly, the doctor muttered something but continued, Ogawa twisted the screen to the side and taking the opposite side of the bed began to hand the doctor tools.

These two had a different rhythm and somehow it put him at ease, the nurse may have the paper but she had the experience under her belt that he had little doubt if forced she could handle this on her own if the need arose. But the doctor remained tense and pale, the color had drained from her face the moment Alicia spoke.

Later Alicia was cleaned up, wrapped in a soft sheet and sleeping much more peacefully; the procedure complete and the samples delivered to the science division. Nathaniel rested a hip on her bed waiting for her to wake. Elisabeth Shannon slipped into the room and went to the screen; checking in once again.

As the woman slipped from the room he followed; something wasn't right. "Doc, want to tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing, she is stable and your son is strong." The doctor gave him a weak smile and he frowned, this was hardly the first time the woman had a procedure go sideways. "She will probably need an hour or so to come around but she can go home on bed rest tonight."

"You hardly want to touch her." Nathaniel didn't let her off.

"No, that's not true. Look, I've had patients under local anesthetic think they've felt something but I have the diagnostic, I have vitals and drug levels to check. We log everything, I can check the records and confirm that they didn't feel anything; I know she did."

"That's what's got you doc? She felt it?" Nathaniel clarified.

"Yes, that concerns me. I selected the nurse, I wasn't monitoring her stats closely."

"No, you were doing your job Doc, and you and I both know it's not the first time she's felt someone working on her. Take a look at her scars." No sense in putting the woman on a guilt trip, taking her arm he dragged her back into the room and slid the blanket off his wife. "She's had far less experienced hands than yours working on her, if she hadn't she wouldn't have those scars."

"It's not the physical scars I'm worried about. I know how to fix those, but she has her share of psychological ones too; I don't like to think my carelessness added another." The woman traced her finger over a healed scar on her ribs, a few inches away was the one the doctor made, and he knew that one would heal with hardly even a mark.

Nathaniel watched the woman consider it, and he didn't know how to tell her that it didn't matter but he didn't know how to explain that he knew that. It wouldn't hurt his wife either way, another physical scar meant nothing to her most of the time, there were moments he knew, but psychologically he knew she would push through.

Alicia was unaware, and he hoped his wife would understand. "Fix the physical ones then, trust me that she will be okay."

The doctor frowned, and seemed to consider it. "Its wrong that I want to. The same way I didn't want to do this."

"If she didn't want to do this she wouldn't be here and if I believed she had been serious danger I would have shut this down; we would have fought but on this I would have won." Nathaniel promised, knowing it would have been a rift between them but it would have been worth it.

The scars they both remembered as fresh wounds, he remembered the moments when he had thought she was gone. She wasn't his wife then but the thought of doing it without her had been physical pain. It was a journey that had started over a year and a half ago, but only a part of the journey they had started on almost nine years ago. It was surprising to him what he felt in looking at her scars, he saw them so often but he didn't think about the past attached anymore; or not as often.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two**

Her fingers traced along the healing skin just below her rib cage; her son was beginning to stretch her belly. It was going to be a race between her son growing and her side healing. And no one would let her do anything; Nathaniel was the worst.

Almost a month had passed and she was allowed to do little more than move between the bed, the bathroom and the couch. Other than her husband and Elisabeth she hadn't seen anyone else. She refused to admit how much her body ached.

When someone knocked on the front door she glanced towards the back where Nathaniel argued via comm with the science division. She was moving rather slowly, but she was moving; and got the door herself.

Storme stood on the step, surprised she stepped back and that was all it took for the woman have an arm around her. The woman had been busy as her family had returned with the last of their harvest and turned straight to putting in a new one across the river. "What has happened to you?"

"It was necessary." And she didn't want to explain it, she was happy to have a visitor.

"Your son is necessary." Alicia flinched slightly as the woman's hand pressed to her side. "Can you feel him moving?"

"Sometimes." The flutters she felt were there and then gone so fast.

"Let me." Before she could protest the woman guided her back to the couch; the woman easily rucked up her tank top.

The old woman glared at the healing incision on her side before shifting her palm along her front. As Alicia fought the urge to squirm Storme pressed a hand just below her belly button and rested it there. "You must put a poultice on this, and when your babe comes I will keep cool cloths pressed to it; the skin will hold."

"Thank you Storme. I promise it was worth the risk; for me and for the colony." She knew better than to try and explain the details.

"Feel that." The woman's hand shifted as Alicia felt the fluttering deep in her belly again. "That is your baby."

Alicia shifted her hand to join Storme's. "Seems strange in a few months he will be in my arms."

Suddenly a shout went up and Alicia pushed to her feet, Sixers were in the woods; Storme stayed close as she headed to the gate. Alicia pushed her to the side and followed as Reynolds unit jogged past, slinging a variety of weapons over their shoulders; they would take up position along the fence.

The soldiers knew their task, and she watched as Nathaniel crossed the plaza with Shannon on his heels. For a moment her eyes locked with her husband's and Alicia knew he wasn't pleased to see her in the street. She ignored him and went to lean against the fence, her eyes caught a glimpse of a face she knew in the trees, sliding the pistol from her thigh holster; it wasn't a sonic so she would wait until she had a clear shot.

A hand pressed to her shoulder and Alicia turned to find Storme still at her side. Taking the pistol from her other side she handed it to the woman. "If we start shooting, don't hesitate."

She knew Storme was no stranger to fighting, the woman would hold her own. "Who are they?"

"Sixers, and they aren't our friends." Her eyes scanned the trees, trying to catch another glimpse to confirm what she saw; and then raised her voice. "It's Carter."

They hadn't seen him in a long time and she had no idea what he was up to. The gate remained firmly in place as the Sixers fanned out along their perimeter. Without the sonic mines the only way they had to drive them back was the weapons in their hands. The Sixers had only the width of the outer gate to use for attack but the treeline began just beyond the stone wall; they were using that for cover.

"Carter." Nathaniel raised his voice. "Show yourself or we shoot."

When no one appeared the gate raised five feet and soldiers poured through it; advancing to the other wall. She caught her husband's steely glare and held her position within the fence; she knew better than to test him on this.

…

He said nothing as his wife stood by the fence, her pistol between the rails and eyes scanning the width of the gate. Their eyes met for a moment before he stepped through that gate, and he knew they both wanted her to be in step with him; but she remained in place.

Striding out to the gate he joined the unit, nodding to their scouts to climb the inside of the wall and lay along the top; a strategy Alicia had outlined and trained soldiers to. In less than two minutes they had eyes on top of the wall and seventeen targets marked.

"Carter, last chance." Nathaniel called out, he had eyes on one of them but he had no idea what they wanted. No one stepped from the woods, he nodded to his men. "Let's find them."

As the unit fanned out the Sixers scattered giving them a chase that he wasn't sure hadn't been the intention all along. They disappeared quickly but he recognized some, they had previously stood with Mira; since the division. And they happened to catch two of them.

"Put them in the brig." He ordered as they entered the colony again.

Nathaniel paused at the fence where his wife still stood, eyes looking outward with as much focus as the guards on the tower. "What was that?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Some of them were with Mira last time we saw her; they didn't put up much of a fight." Her frown matched what he was thinking; something wasn't right here. "Let me deal with it Alicia."

She wasn't impressed but she nodded. "I'll go and check on the Seagoers."

Nathaniel watched her walk away, her hand rubbing her side as she went with Storme at her side. At least the woman who seemed to view his wife as a daughter would stay close and watch over her. She should be at home on bed rest, but he would leave that fight for Elisabeth Shannon to have with her. Nathaniel turned back to the Command Center, he had Sixers to deal with.


	23. Chapter 23

**Twenty Three**

It was late when he got home, Alicia woke as he opened the door, and she had been dozing on the couch. The Seagoers camp had not been interrupted by the Sixers activities and continued with construction and turning land beyond the river for the next seasons crops.

"What is Carter up to?" Shoving to her feet she followed him to the bedroom.

"Carter raided Mira's camp, most escaped into the jungle, two we got and a couple others were captured. Thought it better to claim they supported him until a better opportunity presented." She heard the irritation in his voice, and saw the tension in his body as he removed his holster and checked his weapon. "I've sent a team with Shannon, they'll report in as soon they know anything."

"What did he hope to gain from today?" Alicia smoothed a hand along his back, she knew what he was thinking. Mira's camp had been full of people who wanted to leave the past behind and make peace with the colony. "Was he testing our defences?"

"Wouldn't surprise me. But some of them are not to healthy; the two we've got aren't." He stripped off his shirt and rubbed a hand through his hair, it must have started raining again. It would slow their search team, but it would also have an effect on everyone not under shelter tonight.

"Has Elisabeth synthesized much of the vaccine yet?" The science team and the doctor had been working hard to develop the vaccine. It had been tested in the lab and had positive results in treating the sick in the infirmary. They had begun

"We'll spare two doses, but we've got to decide what to do with them. I have no idea if they'll have anything to go back to." Turning back to sit on the edge of their bed. "They said Carter had Phoenix men with him, at least twenty to thirty."

"Probably about all that are left. Carter may be a lot of things but he learned how to survive that jungle; the Phoenix never meant to." And when the portal sealed they began to fall.

"It might mean we have one less enemy; or they've joined forces. They've been quiet a long time." Nathaniel didn't reach for her as she sat next to him and Alicia tried to ignore it; there was a time he wouldn't have hesitated. "We'll wait for the report."

As he took off his boots Alicia went to get him some food. There was nothing to do but wait, and she was sick of waiting and being cooped up. Her body ached, but she had known far worse pain, and while she knew her husband worried she was not made of glass.

Women from the seagoing camp worked up to almost the day they gave birth in circumstances far harder than she lived. Elisabeth would have her in bed until this child came but if lives were on the line she wouldn't stand by; no matter if it was colonists or Sixers.

The report came just before dawn and she shifted to sit on the side of the bed as Shannon's voice cracked through the comm. "Something went down out here, they've fled; we need a tracker out here if we're going to find anything."

"Damn." Nathaniel snarled, she knew as well as he did what the problem was there; it had been raining all night. "Skye can't track in this rain."

"I can." Alicia rose, pulling her cargos on and reaching for her boots. "I want Reilly, she can pick the rest."

"No!" Nathaniel swung to his feet. "You are not going out there."

"I am, we need to know what happened to Mira; we need to know what Carter is doing." She strapped the holster around her waist and then to each thigh, setting a pistol against each thigh and a blade at her waist.

"Alicia, no; we agreed; no trips OTG until our son is here." There was fire in his eyes as she took his armour and strapped it around her.

"I am tracking, Mira has no cause to attack us; and you know I can handle myself." Alicia squared off with him, held her ground for a moment and stepped quickly around him; they would fight later. She doubted that Carter would have hung around, he had to know they had search parties out.

She crossed to the women's barracks and strode in. "Reilly, pick two and let's go."

"Yes Wash." She knew the woman had worked a late shift the night before but she couldn't have Reynolds as he headed a unit and Skye was out with Shannon already.

In moments she sat shotgun in a rover rolling out through the gate; her husband glaring at her again only this time she wasn't hanging back. They rolled across the rough track out to where the Sixers camped; it was mud the entire way.

..

She had been out all day, and he knew he was itching for a fight; and suspected she was too. Nathaniel knew Alicia could generally talk him into what she wanted to do, this morning she hadn't even tried. He did a little work as he waited for news, her team met up with Shannon's and that encouraged him some.

At a knock on the door he called out. "Enter."

When no one began to speak he paused and looked up as Zoe Shannon peered through the door way. "Is Alicia here?"

"No Miss Shannon, she is working." He pushed his chair back as the girl crossed to his desk; her face full of disappointment. "What is wrong?"

"I wanted to feel the baby moving in her belly." Zoe looked so sad.

"When your dad gets home you come and visit, Alicia will be home and I am sure she will want to see you." Nathaniel promised, she smiled at that.

"Can I ask you something?" The smile broke for a look of some concern.

"You already have." He murmured, perhaps he needed this break, when the baby came he was going to have to need the distractions. "What is your question?"

"Maddie says I can't be a big sister because I'm the baby; but I'm not a baby anymore." Zoe put her hands on her hips and looked at him straight on; her eyes very serious. "Your baby doesn't have a big sister, and he won't cause he's your first baby. Can I be his big sister?"

Forced to bite back a sad thought he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. In truth his child did have an older sibling, and one day he would have to know of him. "Zoe it would mean a lot to me if you would be my son's big sister. He couldn't be luckier."

The girl's grin was contagious and the little thing launched at him. Wrapped in her hug Nathaniel sighed, perhaps a big sister who chose to love him unquestionably and unconditionally would someday soften the truth of his brother. As he set the child back on her feet and loosened her arms from his shoulders Nathaniel thought perhaps he had a good way to avoid a fight with his wife.

Unable to continue to work Nathaniel went back to the unit, Alicia had been gone most of the day now, she would be tired, sore and hungry whether she was willing to admit it or not. She usually got the meal, but he could manage to pick something up from the market; he didn't need to make her sick.

He returned to find his wife approaching the door from the other direction. Quickening his pace he met her near the door and opened it for her. "We found Mira and her group, we brought them back; bunked them in the pods."

"It's better than their last accommodations here. Mira have anything to say?"

"Nathaniel I didn't ask, and you won't until morning. Shannon's going to see they get medical care." Alicia's tone was firm but her eyes said it all, he gave her space, knowing his touch might be the last thing she wanted.

He gave her space while she stripped away her gear, bending over the sink she washed her face and paused; holding a cool cloth to her face for a moment. Watching her he swallowed hard, he knew the anger he felt when she was in danger, it wasn't true anger but fear. He couldn't loose her, couldn't loose their son.

"I had a visitor at command today, I brokered a deal without your consent." Glancing out the window he spotted a little girl in the street, but her head came up and he saw her eyes flash a little.

"What was this deal?" Her voice was tense as she came into the kitchen, she was still irritated with him for this morning. They had both known what was best but he had still tried to talk her out of going; she wouldn't like it.

"Well it has something to do with our son." Crossing to the door he opened it as Zoe stood on the step, her hand raised to knock.

As the girl spotted Alicia her face lit, oblivious of the sparks in Alicia's eyes and he couldn't help but smile as his wife was wrapped in Zoe's hug. "Can I feel the baby? Mommy says it will move soon."

"He's already started." And before he could protest she wrapped her arms around Zoe and carried her to the couch.

He couldn't help but feel a little jealous as he watched Zoe press her palm to his wife's belly, eyes wide with surprise as temper left Alicia's. Zoe looked so excited, and he watched as she pressed her cheek to Alicia's belly, his wife laughing. "Commander Taylor said I get to be his big sister."

"What?" He watched her smile, her fingers gently tucking a flyway curl behind Zoe's ear.

"Well he won't have a big sister or brother, and Maddie says I won't have a little one." Zoe told her. "I really want to be a big sister, Commander Taylor said I could."

"That would mean a lot to me Zoe." Alicia murmured, her eyes on the little girl who pressed a kiss to her stomach; he watched the two. Once he had dreamed of a big family, when he was just a boy playing alone and wishing for a brother or sister himself, and then when he was older he wished of it but abided the laws.

If he and Alicia never had another after this at least their son would never be alone. But if Alicia was willing they would, and Zoe would be a big sister a few times over if she wanted. Their children would know their dream for this place, they would have a life and future here carved out for them for generations to come.


	24. Chapter 24

**Twenty Four**

He let his wife rest, she slept fitfully, even more as their child grew, and as much as he looked forward to the coming months he dreaded them. She was nearing the end and he could already see it. As their son grew Alicia would be even more tired and sore. She held fast to the plan that she would keep working until the day the baby came.

It was a good thing the season was changing, he knew the heat of the hot months had been hard on everyone, and the storms they had seen marked a break from the heat. It would be another few months before the cool weather came and the season settled, it had been like that each year they had been here, it wouldn't be soon enough for some of them.

The cooler wet season would be good, it would be time to prepare the fields for the next harvest, to fortify their supply routes for the outposts and to the better fishing holes. Though the Seagoing camp was happy to supply them with fish in exchange for medical care and protection it was good to have their own plan as well.

They had learned a great deal from their neighbors and it was good to have their loyalty. He knew it was a point of tension between the Sixers but where they had opposed the colony the Seagoers showed nothing but loyalty and willingness to work with them. And many had become trusted friends with his wife.

Nathaniel rose later and got a plex to work on, he needed Alicia to rest for and there was work to be done. He wanted her to work from home, but being pregnant and recovering from the procedure she needed all the rest she could get.

He sifted through the requests from the various divisions all had requests and plans for the future, science, medical, construction and the vendors all had different goals. Some were out of reach, others possible and a few ridiculous, but all wanted their opinions heard ahead of the division meeting tomorrow. Nathaniel knew he didn't usually see all of these, Alicia filtered them before she left the stack for him to deal with.

She wasn't happy being at home but he had called in a trick or two and had her occupied. Between Storme and Acadia's visits daily, teaching her skills she seemed interested in; and that kept her at least sitting down. Zoe's excitement filled much more, at least she was busy.

He turned away from the paperwork and headed for the pods; Mira might be up to talking again. She and her people had healed, they had plans to rebuild their camp closer to the colony and been vaccinated. Now almost everyone in the colony had, except the babies to young for it and the few who flat out refused it.

They were stronger for it, they had fewer children in the infirmary now and fewer workers taking iso's just to get through the work day out in the open air. Alicia had been right, it had been worth it, just as it had been right to extend kindness to their neighbors who chose to live in peace.

But as long as Carter and the Phoenix were lurking on this side of the badlands there was a threat to that. If they left the colony alone he wouldn't much care what they were doing but given that didn't seem to be something they were interested in.

From what Mira had said so far Carter had raided their camp for people willing to continue with the original plan; harvest this place for gain. Only now it was for themselves, not their bosses. The remaining Phoenix had joined Carter as survival was much harder than anticipated. Mira's group had not been keen on the proposal and those who hadn't escaped had been caught and forced; he had caught two of them.

Mira had a nasty new scar, an arrow had gone through her arm, Alicia and Skye had done a job of patching her up and bringing her back here; the group looked rougher than when they had arrived her after the badlands. Mira had held her ground against Carter, at a price. As long as they left the Seagoers alone their camp would be across the river, within the outer patrol route run twice a day.

He met the woman and they walked down the bank, one of the Seagoers paddled them across in a low canoe. The camp would be in the tree tops, to help protect them from predators; construction on the tree houses had already began.

With the wall finished constructions crews turned to maintenance, one had been assigned to help them build. Already they roped up into a network of shells; nearly thirty families would live here. And Nathaniel was satisfied that family and a life were what these people wanted. He had statements from his wife and Shannon as to how Carter had left them; some hadn't made it.

He walked through the new construction with Mira, the woman eyed it carefully. "Thanks Taylor."

"When Carter shows his hand you're with us." The woman knew the man as well as anyone did, she had worked with him for years and he may not have liked it but he had taken orders from her.

"Yes." And whether Nathaniel had liked it or not she had served her mission well when she opposed the colony, it was still a long road to trust. "But Taylor I truly don't know what he is up to."

"We'll find out." He murmured as they walked back to the colony. He nodded to Jones as he fell in step with them, he had been working on the hydro system down river.

"Mira." The man acknowledged the Sixer walking with him.

"How's they hydro project coming?" He asked as they sat in the low canoe, Mira and Jones held the sides as they rode; a lot of colonists did not enjoy river travel.

"Good, we're just about done." Jones commented, waiting until the boat was pulled to the shore before climbing out. "I heard that Regan Brown came back with your group Mira."

"He did." The Sixer leader eyed his lead construction man.

"Used to be a transit engineer right?"

"Still is, he helped up us build both camps." Mira was still guarded with them, and protective with her people.

"Think I could pick his brain about building a bridge across this?" As Jones waited for Mira's answer he bit back a smirk and headed home; the bridge had been one of the construction proposals he had reviewed this morning. It would be approved simply because of the amount of travel across the river.

At the unit he sat with Alicia and sorted through the remaining requests and notes for the next morning, they worked late reviewing and discussing everything for the divisional meeting. Alicia seemed uncomfortable, fidgeting and rubbing her side and back. Nathaniel wanted to reach for her, and hold her but Ayani's irritation with him came to mind and she had not been nearly as far along as Alicia was.

And he was fully aware of the fact she was irritated with him, she didn't want to talk about it and he knew it was best to leave it alone. They worked well together and it was that background that made their marriage work, they knew when to step back and let things be. This was something he didn't want to step back from.

"Come here." He eased his chair back and reached for her, pulling her onto his knee and using his hands to rub her back.

"You couldn't have decided this was a good idea a month or two ago could you." Alicia groaned, her head rolling forward as his hands worked. Satisfied to see her relax in his hands.

"I don't need to make you more uncomfortable." Nathaniel knew she didn't like having her activity limited, but it didn't limit her place in command or her authority. He didn't always balance that so well.

"I'd rather you touch me and reach for me whether I am uncomfortable or not. I am not a breakable doll just because I carry your child." She was leaning back into him and her hand caught his, pulling it smooth around her. Smoothing his palm over her belly; swollen because of his child.

He couldn't deny a certain swell of pride at that, and as he smoothed his palm over her belly, his other still pressed against her back. "It's going to be soon."

"A month or so, but he could come early; he is really active now." Alicia leaned back against him and he watched over her shoulder. He thought he could actually see her belly moving a bit as he felt his son kick under his hand.

"I should finish that nursery." He murmured, in a month or less their son would be in their arms; it didn't seem that long ago she had just told him she was pregnant.

"Storme says it could be a long birth because he is my first." He sighed at her words, feeling her shift a bit in his arms.

"I thought we were going to talk about this again." Alicia was determined to have a natural birth, the way the Seagoers still did, but the risks made him nervous; especially when they had a much safer alternative.

"We did. I haven't changed my mind, I want to try to deliver our son. If there are complications you get to send for Elisabeth." Her hand took his and held it tight, her tone was firm. "And you are going to be with me."

"Is that an order?" He smiled and kissed her neck gently, he always enjoyed watching her give orders; but when they were directed at him it was sometimes amusing.

"Consider it one, if you want to share nighttime diapers and feeding. If you don't you can do it yourself." She rose from his lap, brown eyes with mischief.

"I'll be there." He wouldn't miss it, not if she wanted him there.


	25. Chapter 25

**Twenty Five**

It was early Saturday morning, Nathaniel had already gone to the Command center for the day and Storme and Zoe had arrived to keep her company. They still claimed free babysitting helped Elisabeth and Jim now that Maddie was married and Josh had moved out; her husband was arranging it. And Storme chose to be here.

Zoe was fascinated by the baby in her belly, every time it moved and kicked, she related it to the only birth she had ever seen; the little dinosaur hatching a few years ago. She was pleased about the fact she was six now and she thought she should be allowed to stay when the baby was born.

Alicia wasn't going to allow that to happen, especially not the way she was doing it. The little girl did not need to see that, but she would make sure Zoe was one of the first ones to see him. She sat on the couch and sipped tea, visiting with Storme, Zoe sat beside her.

She winced as a pang ran through her belly, Elisabeth called them braxton hicks, and Storme said they were a sign her body was preparing. Since she had told the latter of them she had come nearly every day. They had set up a frame to finish a hide in the living room and worked at it slowly.

Mostly they visited, Storme had raised many children, had grandchildren, great grand children and a few of those had children. Women in the Seagoers camp had children young, Storme had been about half Alicia's age when she had her first child. She had a great deal of advice about the care and feeding of babies; and surviving the first few months.

Zoe listened with wrapt attention to Storme's stories, as they used a bone needle to punch small holes in the hide. Another pain sliced through her stomach and Alicia rubbed it, trying to ease the tension.

"They are becoming regular?" Storme asked, breaking the story.

"Yes." She confirmed, and nudged Zoe's hand aside as Storme crossed.

The woman crossed to her and laid her hands so they spanned Alicia's belly. She understood enough of the language to know the woman was counting, she murmured the words quietly until her belly tightened again. "We best heat some water. You get up and start walking. It will ease them."

"Not braxton hicks anymore are they?" Alicia sighed and heaved herself up, Storme would never figure out the stove.

"No." Storme murmured, watching as she filled a pot with water and turned the burner on. "Can the girl fetch Acadia?"

"Yes, I can." Zoe looked between them, her face bright with excitement. "I will tell her the baby is coming."

"Zoe you tell the guard at the gate, they will walk with you out to the camp and back in." It was safe enough but more than once they had seen Carter's scouts on the far side of the river; she took no chances with Zoe's safety.

The girl took off and Alicia helped Storme prepare, the woman kept the pot full of boiling water and had fresh clean cloths ready. The woman was right, moving helped ease the pain as the contractions rolled through her body. They became more intense and began to come faster.

"You finished preparing some time ago; the babe wants to see this world." Acadia laughed as Alicia stared at them, humiliated at the rush of fluid from her body.

She hadn't been expecting it and hadn't been able to stop it when it started coming. Slipping into the bedroom she pulled off her pants and dug for another pair. Storme followed her into the room and began rummaging through Nathaniel's drawers; she held up one of his shirts. "Wear this, it will be easier."

Nodding she changed into it, these women were perfectly calm about this and had done it many times themselves. She was uneasy, it was not going to be an easy thing, and both women were up front with her about that. But she wanted to do it, her son had grown longer in her body because of it, and when she nursed him he would be stronger because of what she had survived.

Returning to the living room she sat on the couch, Nathaniel's shirt hit her at the upper thigh but she was going to have to keep watch over Zoe. The little girl came to her side immediately and Alicia shifted uneasily. "Zoe, I want you to stay out here okay? We will come get you when the baby gets here; I promise."

"But I can help." Zoe's eyes were big and full of excitement.

"She can, but she needn't see everything." Storme sat on the girl's other side. "A baby coming into the world can be a hard thing little one. The mum needs to feel safe, not worry that someone will be scared when she struggles."

"I won't be scared. I promise." Zoe murmured, Alicia paused before responding; she could no longer speak when a contraction rippled through her.

"I know, but when it gets near I need you to go get Nathaniel. Okay? He is busy and sometimes babies take a long time to be born." And if he knew ahead of time he would disagree, probably spending the entire day.

Zoe nodded and curled on the couch as Alicia rose to pace again. Storme was busy, she covered the bed with fresh sheets and an old hide lay on the floor. As the day wore on the pain intensified, Storme pressed cool cloths to her side, making her lay back every so often to check how far her son had pushed himself down.

"Time to get the father." Storme went to the bedroom door and sent Zoe off running to the Command Center.

…

Zoe's news had him pushing up from the desk, striding to the stairs he glanced behind him to find Zoe tearing after him. Turning back he knelt and scooped the girl up, even at full speed her little legs couldn't keep up with him. Carrying her to the unit he set her down in the living room and crossed quickly to the closed door of the bedroom; he could hear her breathing.

Storme supported her as she paced the length of the room and turned back, silently he went to her other side and wrapped his arms around her. He could easily carry her but he suspected the movement was helping. Nathaniel had never seen a woman have a child this way, and he wasn't sure he wanted to watch his wife do it.

"Should she lay down?" He asked as Alicia almost hit her knees when pain wrapped her body.

"Not yet, let her crouch now." Storme told him and he winced as the woman dunked her hands into the hot water but he had learned to let the woman do things in her own way.

He was instructed to kneel, hands reaching up to hold Alicia, Storme knelt on the other side of her. As they both crouched Alicia gasped, her body lowering onto their support; Storme reached between her thighs. "Bear down Alicia; push each time he does and help him into the world."

Alicia only nodded, her face a mask of concentration, it took him and the other woman to hold her as Storme reached for the baby. Each time pain masked her face Storme ordered her to push, it took only four times before the old woman was holding their son.

Wrapping him in a towel he was tucked against Alicia's chest, and they both leaned in to see him. Beautiful brown eyes stared up at him before their son screamed, he laughed nervously as the women took him back. Carefully he lifted Alicia back up to the bed and Storme began to tend her as she finished the delivery and wrapped her in blankets.

He settled her head in his lap, thinking as her breathing returned to normal his heart rate might. They had a baby now, their son's cries reinforced that and as he was tucked back into Alicia's arms Nathaniel closed his eyes; she was alright. Exhausted but safe.

"He's so tiny." Alicia whispered, he watched as she unwrapped the blanket and examined him. Her finger tracing his tiny toes, and wrapping around his little fist.

He was quiet now, as if he knew he was safe tucked in his mother's arms; and in truth there was no safer place for him in the world. Their son blinked at them, as if trying to see who they were, Nathaniel wondered if he recognized their voices. Gently he tucked their sons' little fist in his hand and held it.

There was a knocking at the door and Storme let Zoe into the room; it was easy to smile at the child; her face was full of delight. She approached the bed with caution until Alicia patted a spot beside her and called her. "Come here Zoe."

The little girl climbed up next to Alicia and reached hesitantly for the baby. He watched as the little girl gently stroked his cheek. "What is his name?"

"I don't know if we have decided on part of that. Can you help me?" He asked, catching Alicia's frown and gently kissing her cheek. "You promised."

"I did." She murmured, her eyes back on their son. She had promised he could name their son.

"I'm trying to choose between Cullen and Connor. Which do you think suits him?" He felt Alicia tense a little beside him, she didn't know he had already decided on his first name. Cullen had been his father's name. "I like Cullen."

"Me too." Zoe exclaimed, leaning forward. "Hi Cullen."

"His name is Washington Cullen Taylor." Nathaniel murmured. "We will call him Cullen."

"But Washington is a last name." Zoe looked between them as though confused.

"Right, but Alicia married me she took my last name. She didn't have any brothers, and her dad died. He died serving our country." Nathaniel remembered sitting in that room so many years ago, where her grandmother proudly displayed the line of soldiers in the living room. "She serves our colony bravely and I want our son to carry her name forward too, perhaps one day he will pass it on as well."

Zoe nodded and went back to looking at the baby. Alicia gently tucked him into the little girl's arms, and Zoe leaned close to whisper to him; neither of them could hear what she said. When he began to fuss Storme sent Zoe back to the living room. "He is hungry, lets give mum some privacy."

Nathaniel swallowed hard, she had stood firm on this, and there was already formula shortages in the colony. He held his breath as she nestled him to her breast, many women's milk did not come in at all; that was one of the reasons formula had become so common.

Their son nuzzled a little before he began to suckle, he couldn't tell if the baby was eating or not; Alicia didn't seem to be either. "What if he doesn't get enough?"

"Nurse him often, whether he eats or not let him suckle; he will tell your body to make more milk." Storme stayed close and he was thankful for her experience. Alicia had wanted to it this way and now that she held their son he was at peace with this.

Carefully he shifted, leaning her back against his chest, his arms wrapping around both of them; covering her hands where they supported their son. Resting his chin on her shoulder he just watched the baby suckle, his little hands pressed against her skin, those big brown eyes closed. His eyes looked just like his mother's, in a way that was a relief.


	26. Chapter 26

**Twenty Six**

It was an adjustment, being a parent. She and Nathaniel were both operating on the edge of exhaustion even though Cullen was as good as a baby could be. They were learning to live in three hour shifts over the past few weeks and getting better at it, Nathaniel had moved a cradle into their office and they took Cullen to work with them each day.

Zoe was also a fixture in the office before and after school, and she was a great help. Cullen loved to be held and snuggled and Zoe would sit in a chair and do that for hours. The baby was being spoiled but she was as guilty as anyone, she loved holding Cullen; she was happy he was here and healthy.

Elisabeth had scolded her but found nothing wrong with him, and he was growing steadily on milk instead of formula. Delivering him hadn't been easy but it had been well worth it, and she was never going to forget the first moment he was placed against her chest.

As Zoe brought him too her Alicia set aside the bridge plan she had been reviewing and unbuttoned her top; he was a fairly predictable little one. He cried for his milk, his changes and when he was lonely; it took little to satisfy him. A clean diaper, milk or just a hand rubbing his back or belly to help him settle. He nursed happily and she murmured to him, fully aware Zoe had not backed off.

When he finished she held him to her shoulder and burped him before handing him back to Zoe's waiting arms. The little girl took being a big sister seriously and Alicia had to smile at the care she took with Cullen. Promising to teach him all kinds of things as he grew up.

When the two were nestled safely in a chair she turned back to her work, Nathaniel crossed the room with Blade and Mira on his heels; she watched warily as the woman looked at her son. "Alicia, come over here."

She rose and went to his desk, taking the chair behind it when he gestured her to; he leaned against the chair. "We have an interesting idea. The science team has been trying to map the rivers throughout the area for months. Blade knows the rivers, even one that rims the badlands. They've seen a camp along there."

"Carter?"

"Yes." Blade answered, then paused. "Or the pirates, but if they have crossed the badlands this way something has driven them. They have lived beyond the badlands for generations; my mother was not even born the last time they came this way because of drought."

"We need to know one way or the other. We need to stand together on this, we are going to live together in our camps and keep our own ways but on matters of security we will stand together. Alicia and I know how to fight Carter but Mira trained him, Blade and his people know how to travel here faster than our transports will; and they know more about these pirates." Nathaniel's voice carried the force that had followed his orders in battle but the tone was different, she knew all to well this excited him.

They knew this world was the same as the one they had left in 2149 and in a decade they had only explored a part of it. Nathaniel now had another reason to do it, a reason to push for it. And those who stood in this room were with him. Blade looked up to her husband, respected him as a warrior, not understanding that he was a soldier and his skill came from training, discipline; that it had been taught to him. He had taught her, and she knew he was teaching Blade in the same way; Storme and the rest of Seagoers were happy about that.

This would be the first time they all went into a venture together. "We need to prepare. I've volunteered Alicia to work with the Seagoers on hand to hand and bring them up to speed with our weapons. Blade has one of his men to teach ours to manage on the boats. Blade is refitting his boats for the longer journey. We've all got a lot of work to do."

The meeting went on and when Shannon showed up he joined, he would be helping with refitting the boats. Guzman was overseeing the outposts and supply runs, it would be Alicia's unit sailing with the Seagoers and Sixers; but she wondered if Nathaniel intended to let her lead.

Details had still to be hammered out, there was work and training to be done; but now they had a plan. The others left and Shannon took Zoe with her, the girl reluctantly handed her son back to her. Holding him Alicia was torn, she wanted to lead her unit, as she always had; but that could mean weeks away from Cullen. She wasn't sure she was willing to do that.

Rocking him she returned to her husband's desk, studying the plans there. She wanted to train the Seagoers, she had learned a lot from them already. And she knew what they did was right, if Carter was building a camp up river he needed to be pushed back; taught to go far away from the colony. If it was the descendants of the Pirates they needed to know why they crossed this way.

She felt Nathaniel's hands slide along her shoulders and leaned back into him. "I'm going to enjoy training them, I'm going to learn their weapons too."

"I know, it's been a long time since you've taught basic; Skye was the last." She felt his hands run along her sides.

"You'll let me train them but will you let me lead them?" He was quiet for a moment and that was an answer in and of itself. "We can talk about it later."

"We're going back to basics Alicia; it will be a little like the end of Somalia. No sonic and no transports; just skill. We'll do it, together." He looked so happy about that, and Alicia smiled, he was right. "And it will be worth it."

 **End**

 **Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and to review Back to Basics. I hope you enjoyed it.**


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